When-Fire-Meets-Fate
by FlameShadowFireDragon
Summary: Leonardo doesn’t remember anything about that night. His brothers are just glad that he’s alive. But something is wrong. Whatever happened the night of the fire changed him. He can feel it. A darkness is growing inside of him that wasn’t there before. No matter how hard he tries. He can’t stop it. It will win. And when it does, can he still protect his brothers? Even from himself?
1. When-Fire-Meets-Fate

**Disclaimer: I don't own the turtles, or Splinter. Or Karai. Or Rahzar now that I think of it... **

**I only own the plot, so I hope you enjoy it! **

**_**

Chapter 1

"I'm heading out for patrol!" Leonardo announced, making his way towards the lair exit.

"Okay." Raphael waved half heartedly from his position on the living room couch, looking over Michelangelo's shoulder at the television.

Mikey didn't bother responding, his eyes glued to the screen and his brain too focused on his newest favorite tv show to bother registering anything else in the world.

But as long as someone knew where he was going, even if that one person was _only _Raphael, Leo would be okay with it.

So picking up his pace he left the lair.

~~~~~~

Donatello walked out of the lab to see Mikey glued to the television screen.. Again.

Raphael was on the couch behind him, completely relaxed. His hands were behind his head and his eyes were closed. His left foot was propped up on his right knee and Donnie figured that he must've been asleep.

"Hey Mikey." Donnie addressed his little brother gently, trying to not arouse his other red-masked brother from his slumber, "Whatcha watchin?"

"I'm watching Crognard the Barbarian Next Generation!" Mikey exclaimed excitedly, not once taking his eyes off the screen.

Donnie hurried over to look at the glowing television screen.

"Seriously?! There's a next generation?!"

"No." Mikey sighed, deflating a little, "But it sure would be cool!"

Donatello straightened and glared at his younger brother.

"Did Sensei go to bed already?" He asked stiffly.

"Yep." Mikey replied cheerfully.

Donnie sighed, his irritation already fading to the back of his mind. There was no use in staying mad at his little brother over such a minuscule thing. He shook his head gently.

Donatello surveyed the rest of the lair while making his way over to sit on the couch, a safe distance away from Raphael, and noticed that his eldest brother was missing.

He flopped down on the ledge like couch and made himself comfortable.

"Where's Leo?" He asked.

"He's in the dojo." Mikey answered, waving off the question dismissively.

"No he isn't." A gruff voice from Donnie's left sighed making him jump.

"He isn't?" Mikey asked, just as surprised by Raphael's response as Donatello.

The orange masked turtle twisted around to look back at his two older brothers, his surprise and curiosity finally tearing his attention away from the hypnotizing glow of the TV.

"No. He isn't." Raph said, his tone was obviously irritated.

"Then where is he?" Donnie questioned.

"He went out for patrol." Raph answered, gesturing to the lair exit with a wave of his green hand.

"He did?" Mikey asked, obviously confused, "When did he leave?"

"If you'd paid more attention to what's going on around you, you would know." Raph growled accusingly, shooting his littlest brother a glare that would've killed Goliath.

The red-masked turtle stood up off the couch, breaking eye contact with his momentarily incapacitated little brother, and stretched his hands above his head with a yawn before looking down at Donnie.

"Leo left awhile ago." He said, "He could be halfway through by now, but you never know." Raphael shrugged, "You can give him a call if you want. I'm pretty sure he took his t-phone with him. Anyway," he yawned again, "I'm gonna go to bed. If you do call Leo tell him not to stay out too late. Sensei wants to start training tomorrow earlier than usual. And you know how he gets when we're sleepy in training.."

"Oh yes I know." Donnie nodded emphatically, "I think I will call him in that case."

Donatello heard Mikey try to smother a snicker.

"What are you laughing at?" Raph asked roughly.

"Nothing." Mikey replied innocently.

"Sure. Nothing." Raph huffed, "Well, goodnight. See you all in the morning."

He yawned again before turning towards the dark hallway occupying their rooms.

Tiredly trudging up the steps he left the living room. Donnie watched his older brother until he disappeared into his room and his door clicked shut behind him.

Donatello pulled out his t-phone, and dialed Leo's number. Holding his invention to his ear he listened to the steady ring and waited for his eldest brother to answer.


	2. Chapter-2

**Author's Note: Okay, I know that the last chapter was a little slow. But hang with me! Cause things will _definitely _be speeding up in this chapter! Please comment and tell me what you think so far! :)**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own the turtles, or any other villians mentioned below.**

Chapter 2

Leonardo heard his t-phone begin to ring, and he pulled it up to see a screenshot of Dr. Mindstrong show up on the screen. He smiled to himself as he hit answer.

"Hey Donnie. What's up?" Leo asked into the mouthpiece.

"Nothin' much. Just wondering how far you are through patrol." Donnie's voice yawned.

"I'm not quite halfway yet. Why?" Leo asked.

"Oh, I was just wondering. And Raph said something about Master Splinter wanting to start training early tomorrow. He told me to let you know."

"Okay, I'll try not to stay out too late then." Leo replied, quickening his pace slightly.

"Sounds good. So why are you running so behind?" Donnie's electronic voice asked over the phone.

"I had to take a small detour thanks to a Purple Dragon attempted robbery, and it took a little longer than I thought it would."

Leo answered.

"I like how you emphasized 'attempted.'"

Donatello chuckled.

Leo laughed lightly at his younger brother's amusement.

"Anyway, I'm gonna head to bed. Just thought I'd call and let you know. See you in the morning Leo."

"See ya Donnie. Goodnight."

And with that Donatello hung up.

Leo slowed to a walk as he slid the

t-phone back into his belt and scanned the area around him. He really had to get back home, especially if Splinter wanted to start training early tomorrow. But that didn't mean he didn't have to do his job

thoroughly. And just because the Foot and the Kraang haven't been active for the past few weeks didn't mean they wouldn't show up now.

As if on cue, Leonardo began to hear the familiar whirring of alien technology somewhere off to his left.

It was just barely audible, but it was most definitely the Kraang.

He ran over to the edge of the building, following the faint sound as best he could and looked down into the adjacent alley.

Sure enough, three Kraang droids exited a glowing purple and pink portal. All three droids carried glass tubes containing a green, swirling, luminescent liquid, sealed on both ends with thick metal caps.

"Mutagen." Leo whispered under his breath, "That's never good."

The portal closed behind the three Kraang droids and Leo began to reach for one of his katanas, but stopped when he heard what they were saying.

"This is not the place to which Kraang was meant to be placed." One of them droned.

"Affirmative. This is not the place of meeting that was placed for the meeting of the trade for the substance known as mutagen." The second one confirmed robotically.

_ Someone's trading with the Kraang for mutagen? Well that's _definitely_not good!_

The third Kraang droid stepped into the conversation of his two comrades.

"Indeed. Kraang should not have been appointed to transport Kraang. Kraang is that which is known as an idiot."

Leo couldn't help it when he snickered at that.

"Kraang must walk to designated meeting place where that which is known as the meeting is to take place." The first one stated before turning and walking towards the alley opening, the two others trailing behind him.

Leonardo now faced a decision. Attack the Kraang droids now or follow them to this 'meeting.'

"I guess I don't have much of a choice." He breathed, "I can't let that mutagen get into the wrong hands. And whoever wants it probably won't stop just because of a slight setback."

So Leo tailed the three Kraang from the rooftops, careful to keep them in his sight at all times.

Looking at the bright side, since this was a less 'fortunate' part of town no one was really out on the streets to pay attention to three aliens taking a stroll on the sidewalk, or their mutant stalker.

They hadn't traveled far, only about four blocks or so, when the trio of multidimensional aliens entered an old abandoned warehouse that loomed haggardly in the shadows of the night.

Sun-washed graffiti covered the otherwise grey brick exterior, and an assortment of litter cluttered around the neglected building.

Leonardo hurried onto the roof of a nearby apartment building. Stopping at the edge, he backed up for a running start. Sprinting at full speed he leapt across the alley separating the warehouse from the apartments, and landed with a soft grunt on the cold roof.

He broke into a roll upon impact and quickly got back to his feet.

_ Alright, now how do I get in?_

Leo looked around for a broken skylight, any possible way to get inside.

"Of course there wouldn't be.." He sighed,

as he hurried over to the edge of the warehouse, and grinned as he leapt into a rusty old fire escape that hung loosely to the side of the building. Climbing down the steps he finally reached an old window that was already broken.

Leonardo slipped inside, silently landing on the cool cement of some kind of upper deck.

Creeping to the edge of the balcony, he looked down over the rusted metal guardrails at the lower floor of the warehouse.

It was just like every other abandoned warehouse in the city. Wide open space cluttered with the forgotten crates and supplies stacked randomly around the building. Most all of the few windows available, were broken, letting the cool breeze from outside flow through the the otherwise stale air. Huge metal beams supported the upper deck that ran along the interior wall of the warehouse, standing up like stubborn pillars against the age, and weight, of the building.

If Leonardo looked up, he would see large wooden planks crisscrossing above his head, most of them were rotted out and had fallen apart already, leaving gaps and holes in the otherwise solid ceiling.

If that was all that there was to see Leo wouldn't have been so worried.

But of course it couldn't ever be easy in their lives.

Right smack dab in the middle of the building's lower floor was a giant tank, filled to the brim with mutagen.

The glass container was covered with some sort of alien metal, and there were pipes and tubes connected to it. Cylinders and steel barrels, of some kind, sat next to the large vat of mutagen. Worn and rusted over labels that read 'chemicals' were plastered on the side.

Kraang droids were scattered all over the lower floor, each and every one armed with a laser gun in his hands. Leonardo counted about thirty in all.

It took a second for him to catch sight of the three Kraang that he had followed. They were depositing their canisters of mutagen into the larger tank by a hatch that looked like it was specifically for retrieving and adding small cylinders of the mutant making liquid.

"That's a lot of mutagen" Leo breathed.

Whatever the Kraang had planned for all that mutagen, couldn't be allowed to happen.

But that was a bit more firepower than he was comfortable with, at least, if he was going in alone.

_ Maybe I should call one of the guys._ He thought uncertainly, _Better safe than sorry right? _

As carefully as he could, so as not to draw attention, Leo pulled his t-phone out from his belt, and dialed Donnie's number in.

He listened to the green cell phone ring as he held it to his ear. It felt like it had been ringing for hours when finally Donnie's voice could be heard over the receiver.

'You've reached Donatello. If I'm not answering I'm probably working on something very delicate. Please leave a message and please don't call again. It's rather distracting. Thanks!'

Leo hung up. There was no point in leaving a message. Donnie wouldn't get it till tomorrow anyway, and by then Leo would be back home, this whole ordeal with the Kraang taken care of.

He put the t-phone back in his belt with a sigh.

_Oh well. It's just the Kraang. Taking them down will be like a taking a stroll in Central Park._

He never thought he couldn't do it. It's only thirty Kraang droids right? He just wasn't comfortable going in without backup.

Leonardo scanned the building as he tip toed along the upper deck, careful to keep his steps as silent as possible.

The Kraang in the alley had said something about this being a meeting place for a trade. That meant someone was coming soon. And Leo would much rather face an unknown enemy without worrying about thirty more Kraang droids shooting at him.

If he could finish up the Kraang before the mysterious tradesman got there, then Leonardo could stake out the building and see what he was up against. And figure out who this mutagen 'buyer' was.

Unfortunately, this would take a good long while. Especially if he was going to have to do it by himself.

"So much for getting back home

on time." He muttered, standing to his full height.

Reaching back with his right hand, he slid it around the familiar leather grip of his katana, and silently slipped the blade from its sheath in a smooth silver arc.

He was just about to attack when he caught sight of some movement near the back right wall.

Leonardo tried to get a better look at who, or what, it was, but his line of sight was blocked by the tank of mutagen.

Finally, the person stepped out into his view, and Leo was surprised to see the familiar feminine form of Karai.

She was dressed in her classic ninja gear. Her upper torso was plated with her signature, light weight, steel, along with the guards and blades on her forearms, which glinted maliciously in the dim warehouse light.

But she hadn't come alone.

Leonardo spotted an escort of at least a dozen footbots, surrounding and following her lead.

_Well, what are a few more robots gonna do? _He thought convincingly.

Leo grinned to himself as he watched Karai stride confidently up to a Kraang droid with her classic 'I can whip you, don't forget it' attitude that she usually had. The Kraang acknowledged her approach and began to engage in some kind of conversation. Karai stopped and put her right hand on the hilt of her tanto blade, which was sheathed to her lower back.

She responded to the Kraang droid, but Leonardo was too far away to hear what they were saying.

_Stop smiling! _ He scolded himself,

_If the Foot and the Kraang have forged an_ _alliance with each other again who knows what could happen! _

Whatever exchange or agreement that was being made that night, had to be stopped.

_Well, here goes nothing! _ Leo thought, as he leapt over the guard rails and dropped down on an unsuspecting Kraang droid, disabling it quickly.

The next Kraang droid closest to him took the liberty to open fire.

Leonardo was just able to duck down before one of the lasers hit his head. He used his Katana blade to deflect the other shots fired before slicing the droid in two.

"Leo?!" A feminine voice cried out in surprise.

Leo looked up at Karai and gave her a winning smile.

"You sound surprised, did you miss me?" He asked, still smiling.

"Ha." She scoffed before she was interrupted by the Kraang in front of her.

"It is the turtle known as Leonardo. He is interfering with the thing that cannot be interfered. Kraang must annihilate any interferences for Kraang."

Leo's smile slowly disappeared.

_Do these guys ever listen to themselves?_ Leo thought, _Why can't they just say 'get him!' like anyone else would?_

"Kraang! Destroy the one known as Leonardo for Kraang!"

As soon as the command had been given, every Kraang in the building opened fire with only one target in mind. Leonardo.

At first it was difficult dodging all of the searing hot lasers, but since the Kraang didn't even bother to deviate from their positions, it didn't take long for him to gain the upper hand.

Charging at another Kraang droid to his left, he ducked underneath the laser it shot at him and swept its feet out from underneath it in one clean motion. He kicked the gun away from its grasp before cutting some very important wires on its back. The Kraang droid went limp, and Leonardo couldn't help smiling inwardly. Man did he miss this! The Kraang just went down so easily.

"Footbots!" Karai shouted, pointing towards Leo, "Attack!"

The bots obediently obeyed, descending on Leonardo like a black cloud.

_But of course it can't be_ that _easy. _

He thought, grimacing as he just barely blocked a Footbot's blade which had been coming at him full force.

Pushing the blade away from him he spun around just in time to slice another attacking Footbot in half.

Quickly reaching back with his left hand he unsheathed his second katana blade, and attacked the next black ninja, knocking it to the ground and stabbing it through the head.

"Hello, Leonardo." A voice dripping with malice and hate growled from behind him.

Leo whipped around to see a large, black furred, wolf mutant step out from behind the tank of mutagen. Rahzar.

"It's been a long time." He snarled, almost gleefully, gnashing his long white fangs.

"Oh boy." Was all Leo could breathe as he dodged another laser beam.

A Footbot attacked from his right, swinging it's sword down at his head. He ducked down just in time, swinging his katana up, slicing the Footbot in two.

The pieces of the droid had barely hit the ground with a 'clang' when another Footbot jumped in to take its place.

Leo knew he wasn't in a favorable position, and his mind raced for a plan.

Of course any plan he might come up with would be easier to execute without giant zombie dog in the background.

_I can't believe I didn't see him! _ He hissed angrily at himself, _I should've waited longer! Or called the others again! I'm so stupid! _

He looked over his shoulder and back kicked a Footbot from behind, before using the momentum to spin around and stab it through the chest with a flash of sparks.

_Well I can't call the others now. Not only is everyone at home asleep, but there's no way I'd be able to make a call with these guys crawling all over me. _ He continued to himself, disabling yet another Footbot.

_And where the shell are they all coming from?! There were, at most, fifteen! It feels like I've already taken down twice that amount!_

The only upside was that at least Rahzar was staying back.

_For now. _Leo told himself, groaning inwardly with realization as he deflected another laser bullet, _He's probably waiting until the I'm all worn out from the bots. _

So, to add it all up, he was in an abandoned warehouse, fighting both the Kraang and the Foot, who had, apparently, joined forces again. With Rahzar and Karai just on the outskirts waiting for him to either finish off all the robots, or become too tired to fight.

Oh. And he was alone with no possible chance of calling for backup.

_Could it really get any worse? _ He thought frustratedly, deflecting another very sharp attack from a Footbot.

Another Kraang, who apparently had even worse aim than the others, shot at Leo, but missed and ended up hitting the breaker box just past Leonardo's one on five duel with some more Footbots.

There was an explosion of sparks, and the the lights overhead flickered sporadically until the lightbulbs burst, sending a showering spray of shattered glass in all directions.

Leonardo instinctively ducked down and covered his head with his arms, protecting his face from the glittering shards raining down on everyone. He grimaced as he felt the speeding slivers dig into the soft tissue of his arms and legs. It felt like thousands of tiny needles were being jabbed carelessly into his skin at a mile a minute.

The glass clattered noisily against the concrete and robotic bodies.

When the noise stopped Leo opened his eyes. It was pitch black in the warehouse save for what little light shone through the broken windows. There was also some flickering blue light from the sparks and strings of electricity sputtering from the breaker box.

With a zap of electricity and a puff of smoke the metal box suddenly burst into flames. Red and yellow tongues of fire spread quickly to a pile of wooden crates that were stacked haphazardly against it.

The old, dry wood made perfect tinder and the fire ate at it greedily, rapidly growing.

_And it just did. _ Leo thought.

With all the clutter on the lower floor it didn't take long till the flames were licking up the walls, reaching for the wooden beam rafters overhead.

While he was still watching the flames spread, he heard footsteps running at him from his left and turned just in time to deflect an attack from another Footbot.

His arms and legs stung sharply from the shattered glass embedded in his skin as he moved. But there was no time to worry about pain as two more Footbots attacked, weapons swinging. He jabbed the first one in the chest with his katana, letting it fall to the ground as he kicked the second one backwards, sending it flying into the fire. Swinging around Leo dismembered the third droid as quickly as possible.

Blood began to surface where the glass had cut his skin, and Leonardo could feel his strength beginning to fade. Sixteen years of ninjitsu training could only take you so far.

He bit his lip at the needle-like pain that jabbed at his skin, and the growing heat wasn't helping, as it rolled like waves across his body.

_I need to get out of here. _ Leo thought urgently.

He heard more footsteps rapidly approaching from behind, and the familiar swish of a blade slicing through the air. Spinning around he blocked the attack with his own blade, and was surprised to be face to face with Karai.

Her steel mask was covering the lower half of her face, so he couldn't see her full expression. But her amber eyes burned with anger.

"Do you know what you've just done?!" She shouted at him.

"Stopped you from fulfilling your evil plan?" He replied, pushing her back and swinging his katana down at her.

She blocked the strike, sliding his blade safely past her body and jabbed at him with her tanto. Leo stepped out of the way and she swung the blade back towards him. He ducked down underneath the attack and came back up with an uppercut to her gut, careful not to cut her with his katana.

She stumbled backward from the powerful strike, clutching her stomach and gasping for breath. This gave Leonardo the chance to gain the upper hand. He charged her, planning to catch the jaw with a hook and knock the kunoichi unconscious.

Karai had no time to recover efficiently from the last blow, but she had regained enough of her composure to deflect Leo's attack.

Meanwhile, the fire's rapid expansion decreased to a steady spreading, but the whole warehouse would be nothing but a pile of ashes in a few hours.

The roar of the flames filled Leonardo's ears, along with the crackling sparks and cracking wood as it burned, mingled with the sounds of metal clashing on metal. The light of the fire, reflected off of Karai's armor, and painted their steel blades a flaring orange.

Leo could see the waves of heat rise into the air and could feel the intensity of it roll across his face. The blood that had dripped from the glass cuts, had dried to his skin in clumps.

The heat was sapping his strength, and he noticed that it was becoming more difficult to breath. It was like the air was lighter than normal and he couldn't keep it in his lungs long enough to profit from it. The fire must've been using up all the oxygen in the building.

The situation was escalating rapidly. Both him and Karai needed to get out of there before they were trapped.

Karai jabbed at his shell and he stepped back.

"Karai! Stop!" He shouted above the ever increasing roar of the fire.

She either wasn't listening or didn't hear as she charged at him again. He blocked the attack and tried to talk some sense into her.

"The fire's getting worse! We need to get out of here before it's too late!" He yelled, but she didn't stop.

_Why won't she stop?!_ He thought urgently, _She's in just as much danger as I am! It doesn't make sense!_

"Karai! This is insane!" Leo exclaimed, deflecting another jab to his shell.

He stumbled back from another vicious attack feeling slightly lightheaded, and his breaths felt shallower. He coughed roughly, smoke beginning to burn at the back of his throat.

_The fire's using up all the oxygen._ He concluded, _Why won't she stop and be reasonable!?_

It didn't make any sense! If they didn't get out of the warehouse soon they could both die! And she was just acting like this was another duel on the roofs of New York! Or like..

_Like she's stalling me._

His mind began to race.

Did she want to keep him in the warehouse? Was this a trap?

No, if it was a trap she wouldn't still be fighting him.

Was it a diversion? Possibly. But for what?

_Come on Leo! Think! _ He yelled at himself, avoiding a stab to the chest.

His brain flipped through strategies, plans, ideas, his mind trying to puzzle it out, trying to anticipate what Karai's plan was.

But it was a little hard to try to figure out his opponents strategy while also concentrating on not getting skewered in a building that was burning down around him.

The flames, the sparks, the excruciating heat, the black suffocating smoke-

_Rahzar! _ His mind declared, _Of course! How I could be so stupid?! He could attack at any minute and I would be caught completely off guard!_

_Or not if he was doing something that Karai didn't want Leo to find out about._

Leo's gaze darted in all directions for the wolf-man mutant, the heat from the fire warping his sight like an illusion, making it difficult to see clearly.

Karai swung her tanto at Leonardo, his concentration had been broken, and he wasn't quick enough to deflect the strike. The blade found its mark, sinking into the soft flesh of his upper arm and slicing it cleanly open.

Leonardo cried out from the pain that shot through his right arm, and jerked back, putting some distance between him and Karai. The pain felt like a thousand hooks all digging into his skin at the same time, and he could only imagine how bad it looked, but he kept his gaze trained on her, he didn't dare take his eyes off her now.

Though, much to his surprise, Karai didn't charge at him right away, but held back.

Hesitation possibly? Or was it concern?

Cautiously he looked away, though he was still making sure to keep her in his peripheral, and tried to assess the extent of his wound as quickly as he could.

He grimaced at the sight of it.

There was a large gash where the blade had sliced his upper arm, it hadn't reached the bone, but it was still deep enough to raise concern. The soft red muscle underneath his green skin was exposed and torn. Blood streamed from the cut in red rivulets, dripping down his arm adding to the crusted scarlet liquid that had already dried to his skin. His fingers tingled like they were about to fall asleep and he tried to tighten his grip on his katana's hilt. He grimaced with a groan as another shot of pain jolted through his arm.

"Did I catch you off guard?" Karai taunted loudly over the crackling and roaring fire.

_At least she's stopped fighting._ Leo told himself, _Now maybe I can talk some sense into her._

"Karai! Listen to me!" He shouted, "We'll both die if we don't stop this nonsense and find a way out of here!-"

He stopped, detecting unnatural movement near the mutagen tank.

It was Rahzar. The bony, black mutant had an empty canister in his hands and it looked like he was trying to figure out how to fill it with the mutagen inside the tank.

Realization came crashing down on Leonardo like a load of bricks.

_Of course! Karai's been keeping me distracted so so that Rahzar can get the mutagen without me noticing! It's so simple it's genius!_ He hissed as more pain crashed through his arm, _And I almost fell for it! Almost._

"What's wrong? Are you scared? I expected more from you Leo!" Karai mocked.

Leo turned his gaze back to her. She must not have realized that he had seen Rahzar, and that he knew what they were doing.

_I can't let them get away with that mutagen. But there's no way I'll stand a chance against the two of them with only one arm. I need a plan._

His blue eyes darted around the burning building looking for something, anything, that could be used to his advantage. They landed on the cylinders of chemicals next to the mutagen tank. And next to Rahzar.

A strategy clicked into place in his mind from there. It wasn't much of a plan, but it was all he had under the circumstances. He just had to keep Karai thinking he hadn't figured it out.

_Here goes nothing._

"Listen Karai! We don't have to keep doing this! I'm already injured! And if we don't figure something out we'll both die in here! So you win! I surrender!"


	3. Chapter-3

**Okay! Hope you have enjoyed it so far! Special thanks to fireworksinthenight, thank you so much for reviewing! It's really encouraging.**

**I'll stop talking now, so you can see what Leo's got planned! **

**Disclaimer: Still don't own them. **

**_**

Chapter 3

The reaction was exactly what Leonardo expected.

Karai's eyes widened with shock and Leo could see Rahzar freeze, equally shocked, in his peripheral vision.

"What?" Karai said so quietly it was almost indiscernible.

"I said," Leo shouted even louder, "You win! I surrender."

Karai recovered from her shock and fell into skepticism, finding it difficult to believe that he would just give up so quickly.

"Yeah right! This is some sort of trick isn't it?!" She accused him doubtfully.

_You bet it is._

"Look, I'll prove it to you! I'm going to put my katanas down on the ground, don't attack!" He answered.

Slowly he knelt down, and, doing as he promised, carefully set his weapons down on the warm cement next to him. It took more effort to release the katana in his right hand, and he cringed at the pain the movement caused. But he bore through it. He had too.

Still keeping his movements slow and cautious, he began to stand back up, and while he did he slipped his left hand behind his back. So Karai couldn't see the small knife that slid out of his wrist wrap, and into the palm of his hand.

But Karai knew something wasn't right, and did see him hide his hand behind his back.

"What are you doing? What are you hiding?!" She shouted, "Show me! Or I will attack!" She threatened, holding her tanto up at eye level, and pointing it at him menacingly. Leo could see his scarlet blood staining the once silver blade and he cringed.

Karai was onto him. He'd have to plan this perfectly.

Carefully raising his hand, he openly showed her the small, insignificant weapon in his palm.

Confusion flashed in her golden brown eyes, which quickly flared to alarm, but before she had any time to react, Leo had already made his move. Throwing the little blade expertly in Rahzar's direction, he heard a ping of metal hitting metal, followed by an odd hissing sound, and a loud howl of pain.

Karai's head jerked around towards the sound of Rahzar's agonized cry.

But Leonardo's attention was on the strange hissing sound.

There was hardly any time to think when another explosion rattled the building. It was much bigger than the first and the percussion made Leo's ears ring. But that was going to be the least of his worries. When the second explosion went off, the large tank of mutagen blew with it.

For a few seconds everything went in

slo-motion as the tank glass shattered, sending mutagen flying through the air.

Everything seemed to speed back up again and Leo became suddenly aware of a stream of mutagen, headed straight for Karai.

**Duhn duhn duuuhn! *cue dramatic organ music* **

**So what's going to happen next? **

**Please tell me what you think in the comments! **


	4. Something-Very-Very-Bad

**Hello again! Hope you enjoyed the last chapter! I'm going to warn you ahead of time, that this following chapter _may _contain details that some might find disturbing. *shrugs* I mean, _I _think it's fine, but if it isn't please let me know so I can rate this story accordingly. Thank you, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Do I _seriously _have to do this every chapter? I don't own the turtles! **

_

**Chapter 4**

All his life he was taught to protect. Protect his brothers, protect his home, and protect the people of New York, even if it included his enemies. So his reaction was purely instinctive.

Without thinking, he broke into an all out sprint, not taking the chance of going too slow, and ran into Karai, shoving her out of the way. She was knocked a good three feet away before hitting the concrete with a heavy thud, all of his momentum used in getting her to a safe distance.

Leo barely had enough time to fall back when the stream of mutagen collided into him, knocking him to the ground. He cried out in pain when he landed on his wounded arm, tearing at the gash. Tentatively he got to his knees, trying to relieve the sharp pain in his arm.

At first, the green alien liquid was rather soothing. It was colder than the smoky, hot air surrounding him and relieved Leonardo's skin from the fire's relentless heat waves.

But it wasn't long before it began to burn in another kind of way, like hot acid eating through his skin and shell. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't really doing that, but his screaming nerve endings were demanding otherwise.

He doubled over groaning in pain.

It was rather random but he became suddenly grateful that he and his brothers were too young to remember being mutated, because this was terrible.

The mutagen seeped slowly into his numerous cuts and scrapes from the battle, making them sting.

His body began to shake uncontrollably and his breathing became quick and hard.

He could feel the mutagen begin to course through his veins, and it felt like his blood was boiling. His heart pounded harder and faster in his chest from adrenaline, helping to thoroughly circulate the mutagen through his body. His head swam and his bones began to ache.

Taking ragged breaths he tried to calm his mind enough to try and block out some of the pain only to find it getting worse, especially in his sides and spine.

He thought he heard someone calling his name, but his ears were still ringing from the explosion.

The pain that whipped through his body only became worse. His heart pounded faster, his ragged breaths came quicker and tears began to roll down his face. The agonizing pressure in his sides felt boiling hot, like the lava of an angry volcano that was denied the ability to erupt.

He braced his bloody hands against the cement, more glass driving into his palms, as his arms shook, his body screaming in pain.

There was a terrible _'crack!' _which Leo had felt more than heard, and he gasped at the lightning bolt of searing pain that rocketed through his spine and into his limbs. He couldn't feel anything other than pain. Not the the rough cement, not the shards of glass digging into his hands, not the ever increasing heat of the fire or even the hot coals falling from the rafters and burning his skin.

But through all of the unbearable, mind ripping pain, he could just barely hear a voice calling out to him.

_"Leo!"_

_ Karai?_

Was it really? Or was his mind just trying to cope with the pain.

_"Leo!" _

The voice was faded and slow, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was most definitely Karai.

Fighting back as much of the pain as he could, he turned his head just enough to look at her.

She seemed so far away, so distant.

Rahzar was trying to hold the her back, blood dripping down his furry black face.

Karai stared back at Leo, her eyes wide with fury mixing into terror as she kicked and struggled to break free from Rahzar's hold. Once she saw that she'd got his attention, she pointed and waved frantically at the rafters above Leo's head.

_"Run!" _she screamed, her voice still sounding distant.

Leo looked back down as another wave of pain crashed into him, his body left trembling in its wake. He closed his eyes with a rasping groan that gritted through his clenched teeth. It hurt to move in just the smallest way, but he couldn't ignore Karai's desperate cries.

Clenching his left fist, and letting out a strangled grunt, he tried to stand. But his body had become stiff, and it felt far heavier than before, his trembling muscles refusing to budge. Trying to fight his own strength, he slowly began to move. Though there was no way he'd be able to stand, let alone walk away with his own limbs fighting against him like that.

He unclenched his fist with much effort, groaning at the tension in his arms and legs.

It felt like he was on fire from the inside out, a burning sensation clawing from the pit of his stomach into his chest and the rest of his trembling body.

He heard Karai's faded voice scream something out to him, but her words were indiscernible.

There was a thunderous crashing sound from the rafters overhead, which resounded in his ears without difficulty, making his skull throb. The next thing Leonardo saw was a shower of scalding hot sparks falling around him and then everything went black.

_

**Cliffhanger! Mwahaha! Yeah a bit intense back there.. Please tell me what you think! **


	5. Chapter-5

**Hey! Finally the next chapter! Just a heads up, things are going to slow down for a bit but please bear with me! I promise it gets better!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters named and mentioned in the story below. Only the plot. **

_

**Chapter 5**

Raphael jolted awake with a panicked breath of air, just barely biting back a scream. His heart pounded in his chest as he panted for breath, his eyes darting back and forth, urgently taking in his surroundings.

At first, the only thing that filled his vision was utter darkness. But, as his eyes adjusted, he began to recognize the faint silhouette of the old locker on the far left wall and his personal drum set in the corner closest to him.

He sucked in a long calming breath, and let it out slow. He was in his room. The familiar, warm scent of leather and sweat hung heavy in the air, soothing his frayed nerves.

Flopping back onto his pillow he exhaled roughly. The comfort and safety of home washing over him.

_Man, what a weird dream, _he thought, closing his eyes with a sigh.

He glanced over at the digital alarm clock sitting atop one of his bass speakers.

"Holy sewer cakes!" Raph shouted, throwing off the covers and jumping out of bed, "Is it really that late?!"

Grabbing his gear, which consisted mostly of foot and hand wraps, along with his elbow and knee pads, he sat back down on the bed, putting them on as quickly as he could.

"I can't be-_lieve_ I slept in!" he growled at himself, slipping on one of his knee pads, "I'm going to catch it from Sensei if I'm late for training."

He shivered at the thought of what kind of punishment his Sensei would resort to. Perhaps solo Randori?

Raphael swallowed hard and began to work faster.

When he'd fastened the last wrap around his ankle, he jumped up from the bed and, snatching up his tattered red bandanna, made a beeline for the door. Once the door was open, he ran out as fast as he could, tying on his bandanna on the way to the dojo.

"I'm here!" he announced, running through the dojo entrance.

Relief washed over him when he saw that Donatello and Michelangelo were only stretching, most likely in preparation for the sure to be brutal training session. Though, he had to admit, the part that relieved him most was that Master Splinter was no where in sight.

"Man! You sure like cutting things close, don't ya Raph?" Mikey smirked.

"Yeah well I'm here aren't I?" Raph responded gruffly, quickly regaining his composure.

"Hey, at least you aren't last," Donnie commented, beginning a round of light, warmup exercises, "Leo's not even up yet."

"What?" Raph said, both stunned and alarmed at his younger brother's statement.

Leo was usually very good about keeping schedule, especially if it involved training, and was commonly in the dojo, warmed up and ready to go, long before any of the others.

"Is he really still sleeping?" Raphael asked.

"Mm-hm," Mikey nodded, "Yep, sure is!"

"He must have come back from patrol really late if he's still too tired for training." Donnie thought aloud, and Raph was sure he could see a mischievous glint in the genius turtle's reddish brown eyes.

Actually, now that he thought about it, Mikey seemed a little more energetic and bubbly than he usually was before training. The orange masked turtle tried to hold back a smirk, but Raph had already caught sight of it and was instantly suspicious.

He frowned, "Guys? What did you do?"

"Nothing," Mikey replied innocently.

"Then what is it?" Raphael asked, crossing his arms across his plastron, "I can tell when you two are up to something, so come on. Spill it. What's going on?"

"Nothing! Really!" Donatello insisted before chuckling lightly, "It's just kinda humorous is all."

"Yeah!" Mikey interjected excitedly, "The one who's all like, 'we need to train' and is always here before the rest of us on any other day, is late for the first time because he was out patrolling too late! I mean, this story is just filled to the _brim_ with ironing!"

"Irony," Donnie corrected.

Okay. Raphael had to admit that it was hilariously ironic. And it would feel really satisfying to not only go unpunished through training, but to also see the goody two blades, who never seemed to do anything wrong, get punished instead for once. Oh how sweet an experience that would be! And it just got better! Raph could hold this day over Leo's head for the rest of their natural lives.

But when Raphael thought back to those terrifying moments when he thought that he himself was going to be late and, because of that, punished... Despite how tempting the situational outcome was, he knew he couldn't be _that_ cruel.

"Someone needs to go wake him up before Splinter comes out and notices that he's not here," Raph said, glancing over his shoulder at their Sensei's room.

Mikey looked at him, confused.

"Why?" he asked, "If someone gets him, the levels of irony will degrease!"

"Decrease," Donatello corrected.

"Come on guys," Raphael scoffed, "Do you really want Leo to get in trouble?"

He'd asked the question rhetorically, but when Donnie and Mikey exchanged glances, Raph got a sinking feeling.

_Well, at least it's nice to know I'm not the only one, _he thought to himself, and if they were in a different situation, he would've smirked.

"You _do, _don't you," he asked, and they both shuffled awkwardly.

"W-_ell_, now that you mention it.." Mikey confessed, though not with very much conviction.

Raph shook his head.

"That's way low, even for me!" he accused, looking at his younger brothers feigning disappointment, and shame, "You two oughta be ashamed of yourselves! In fact, to make up for it, I think one of _you_ should go wake Leo up. Donnie?"

Donatello shook his head and subtly pointed at Mikey.

Raph turned his attention to the orange masked turtle.

"Mikey?" he half asked half commanded.

Mikey shook his head.

"Uh-Uh. No way. I'm not going!"

"Mikey, go get Leo," Raphael growled.

"Nooo!" Mikey whined, "Why can't Donnie go?"

"Donnie's stretching."

Mikey's left leg shot up, and he practically hugged it to his chest as he balanced precariously on one foot. He was always the more naturally flexible.

"Look! I'm stretching!" he exclaimed desperately.

"Too late," Raph insisted sternly, "Now go wake Leo up."

"It's cutting it too close! Sensei could come out any second! What if I don't make it back on time?!"

"Then you'll have suffered for a good cause, and Leo won't have to be punished by himself."

"_Please_ don't make me go!" Mikey begged.

_He should know by now that begging doesn't work on me, _Raph thought.

"Why can't _you_ go?!" Mikey whined.

"Because I wasn't the one who was-" Raphael searched for the right word, "Insubordinating."

He could see Donnie smack his forehead in the background, and only rolled his eyes in frustration.

_Well I'm so-_rry_ if I misused one stinkin' word Mr. picky genius._

"Mikey, go get Leo right now, or I will personally make sure that this will be the worst training session you have ever endured in the past, present and future. Got it?"

Mikey gulped, nodded, and, with a pitiful whimper, began to make his way past Raph towards the dojo exit.

Suddenly the door to their Sensei's room slid open, and Master Splinter stepped out.

_

**Uh oh! They have no idea what's going on! What's Master Splinter going to do? Guess you'll have to find out! ;D**

**I also want to give a special thanks to everyone who has taken the time to comment on my story. It's really inspiring to see that people honestly take an interest in my stories! Thank you so much for your support! You make it so much easier for me to get up in the morning and start writing. **


	6. Sudden-Awareness

**Well, here comes school. Don't worry I am still planning to post a chapter regularly every other week! Just wanted to thank everyone who has commented and supported this story! It really means a lot. :)**

**And for any other Christians out there, my dog just had puppies, and the runt isn't looking so good. If you would be willing to pray for him that would be _so_ great! **

**Okay, now that that's been said, let's get on with the story! Sorry this chapter is a little long, but it gets better soon!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT in any way, I only have the plot. **

_

**Chapter 6**

"Everyone sit down," Splinter commanded firmly, though not harshly.

No one argued, and the three brothers instantly lined up in a row, sitting on their knees, in front of their Sensei. Raph next to Donnie, and Donnie next to Mikey. Just like they always did.

On Raphael's other side, was an empty space where the eldest of the four was supposed to be. Without Leo there, it seemed unnatural, and cold. Raph shivered. He hated being on the end of the line, it just felt weird.

Splinter gazed at the empty space next to Raphael, intrigued by the extremely rare sight, before turning to the others, calmly looking each one of them in the eye.

"Where is Leonardo?" he asked curiously.

Mikey hesitated before answering, "He's still asleep Sensei."

"He had a late shift in patrol last night and was running a bit behind," Donnie explained hurriedly, "He must not have gotten back till early this morning is all."

"Hmmmm," Splinter pondered, stroking his long goatee thoughtfully. Though his tone did _not_ sound promising.

"Sensei," Raph blurted, "You know how Leo is with training. He's always here earlier than the rest of us, warming up and getting ready. You don't have to punish him because he's late for _one_ session."

Master Splinter paused, glancing over at his hot headed son, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"I see. So you all are willing to take Leonardo's punishment for him?"

Silence.

"I thought not."

Splinter chuckled lightly in amusement.

"But Sensei," Raph interjected, "I'm sure Leo wouldn't be late for a training session without a good reason!"

"I believe you are correct Raphael. Why don't we go and ask your brother, in person, what that reason _is_ exactly?" Splinter said, already striding over to the dojo exit.

The three brothers exchanged quick glances before hurrying after him. They would never admit it, but they were all very excited to see how this rare occasion would play out.

When they reached Leo's bedroom door the three brothers watched with eager anticipation as their Sensei put his hand on the handle.

The moment his hand met the cold metal, Splinter hesitated. His rat ears twitched slightly, and the faintest look of confusion crossed his face.

_What on earth is that about?_ Raph wondered, confused.

He didn't have time to think about it when Master Splinter suddenly flung open the door.

"Leonardo!" he boomed in his strong authoritative voice.

Raph was expecting his older brother to start awake and fall out of bed with a yelp. And he couldn't help smiling at the image it depicted in his mind's eye.

But no sound came from the dark room.

_Odd,_ he thought, his smile quickly fading.

Though it wasn't impossible. Leo _had _been known to be a hard sleeper at times.

Splinter stepped into the pitch black bedroom and, for some reason, something didn't feel right. Raphael had an itching feeling crawl up his shell, and he wasn't sure why. He suddenly realized what it was that was bothering him. There wasn't _any_ light. Like, at _all_.

Leo wasn't really _afraid_ of the dark, he just felt better with a light on. Even if it was only just the weak glow of his t-phone screen, he'd always have some form of lighting while he slept.

Donatello had put it this way, Leo wasn't afraid of the dark, he was just afraid of the absence of light. Which, of course, sounds very grande and heroic, so Leo would just say _that_ any time he was accused of being afraid of the dark.

One year, Donnie had practically reconstructed a Space Heroes clock so that the face would glow blue at the flip of a switch, and gave it to Leo as a Christmas present. Leo absolutely loved it, and had put it to good use every night since.

But one look into the room told you that no one had touched that clock since last night, _or_ this morning.

_The batteries could have died, _Raph tried to reason with himself.

Though he doubted it. Leo took special care to keep that clock in perfect condition. Or maybe he got back home too tired to turn it on. _That_ was a more believable reason, but still unlikely.

Master Splinter took two steps into the room before freezing in place, his rat ears quirked forward, trying to hear through the dark silence.

Raph wished he could see his Sensei's face, but the tall rat's back was turned to them.

"Leonardo," Master Splinter called loudly, though his voice wasn't as confident as before.

There was still no answer.

"Donatello, turn the light on. Now!" he ordered, not daring to move, and Raph thought he could hear the slightest tremor of fear in his Sensei's command.

"Hai Sensei," Donnie obeyed, stepping into the dark room.

He flicked on the light switch with a shallow click.

Yellow light illuminated the clean, neat, and organized room, of Leonardo.

A desk lamp sat on a bedside table that doubled as a miniature bookshelf, holding Leo's prized collections, from martial arts textbooks to comics, all neatly arranged in order from most to least boring. At least, in Raph's opinion.

The floor was bare with the exception of one excersize mat that was laid neatly in a far corner of the room.

Above the head of the bed was a large tapestry, portraying the image of a silver wolf howling at the moon from a rocky outcropping, while stars glimmered in the background. The picture had a bluish tint to it, enough to draw you deeper into the scene depicted, but not so much as to spoil the realistic feel of it.

Hanging on the right wall was a Space Heroes fan poster, and above _that, _a little more to the right, was the Space Heroes clock from Donnie.

Two wooden stands, screwed firmly to the left wall, were the resting places for Leonardo's twin blades, and Raph noted that they were both vacant.

Leo's bed was the same kind as everybody else's, a trashy frame from the junkyard. But Leo had gone to great lengths to make it look like some bed any ordinary kid on the surface would have. The head and foot boards, which Leo had personally added on, were made of polished wood, giving it a cozy, rustic look. A dark blue comforter was spread across the mattress, and pulled up neatly over the pillow. It was very obvious that the bed had been left untouched since it had last been made.

In other words, Leonardo was not in bed sleeping, where he should have been.

Master Splinter turned to look at his three sons, who were staring into the room from the doorway in shocked silence.

"Michelangelo. Are you absolutely _certain_ Leonardo came home from patrol last night?" he asked quietly, the seriousness in his voice adding to the gravity of the situation.

Mikey was still staring dumbfounded into the empty room when he whispered, "No."

Splinter turned to Donnie.

"Donatello?"

The purple masked turtle shook his head.

Master Splinter straightened, his face creased with concern as he stroked his long goatee-like beard anxiously.

"Then I do not believe your brother _did_ return from patrol," he said quietly.

_

**They figured it out! Bum bum bum! Well that's chapter 6! :D I hope you all have enjoyed! Please tell me what you think in the comments! And don't be afraid to be blunt if it's no good. I'm still learning, and anything you guys have to say that may help my writing is invaluable!**

**I'll see you all on the next chapter!**


	7. Chapter-7

**Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for commenting and reviewing! It's so great to hear what you all think! :D**

**I also want to thank everyone so much who kept me in their prayers and concerns, the pup passed away peacefully last week.. I thought you guys should know, and that I appreciate you all so much. **

**In other news, here comes the school year.. -_- It's going to get pretty busy, but I will still try my best to keep up with one chapter every other week for you guys. **

**Alright, I think that's all, soo back to the story!**

**Disclaimer: Alas, I still do not own the turtles or any other characters mentioned below. **

_

**Chapter 7**

The suggestion _alone_ blew Raphael's mind away. Leo? Not come home? It was such a bizarre thought. He would never just, _'not come back.'_

_At least, not voluntarily. _ Raph thought, only adding to the terrible sinking feeling in his stomach.

"What should we do Sensei?" Mikey's small voice asked.

"I do not know my son," Splinter answered quietly.

Suddenly Donnie's head snapped up, and he exclaimed under his breath, "TV."

He jerked his head around to look at Mikey, "Mikey! Turn on the Television!"

Michelangelo looked at his brother like he'd just lost his mind.

"TV? Now?" Mikey questioned skeptically.

"Yes! Go turn it on! _Now!" _Donnie shouted urgently, startling his younger brother.

Mikey stumbled backwards in surprise, almost falling, and darted into the living room, not waiting to be told thrice, Donatello following closely behind.

Raphael and Splinter exchanged glances before hurrying after the two green blurs.

Raph was confused. How was TV, of all things, going to help them find Leo?

When they reached the living room Mikey was sitting on the floor in front of the Television, it was already turned on and colorful cartoons flashed across the screen.

Mikey's face was turned to them, his expression urgent, desperate and confused.

Donatello was leaning over the edge of the cement ledge that they used as a couch. His hands were nervously rubbing together as he stared wide eyed at the glowing screen.

"Turn it to the News channel," he commanded.

Mikey's face scrunched in disgust, as he glanced at his older, genius brother.

"News?" he asked unsure, his tone filled with disappointment.

"Yes Mikey, News, and do it now!" Donnie demanded impatiently.

Raphael stepped into the TV pit as Mikey's attention was, once again, drawn to the glowing screen, and he began to flip through the channels in search of the News. It wasn't a channel they were necessarily _familiar_ with.

Raph remained standing, not comfortable with the idea of sitting down at the moment, and crossed his arms over his plastron. He frowned at the television screen as it flicked between different shows.

Master Splinter also stood, though he did not descend into the TV pit with the rest of them, deciding to position himself directly behind Donnie, who happened to be sitting right across from the TV. Splinter's expression was crest fallen, and his dark brown eyes were filled with concern and confusion. His ears were folded back, anxiously twitching forward every so often.

"Donatello, please explain what you have in mind," their rat master said.

"Well, everyone knows that Leo wouldn't just 'not come home,' so something must have prevented him," Donnie began, glancing up at Raph in worry, "Something big," he added, looking back down at the screen before continuing, "We also know that we need to find him as quickly as possible. But then we have to ask ourselves, where do we even begin to look? Depending on what happened, where it happened, and at what time last night, drastically affects where Leo could be now. Maybe he was attacked by the purple dragons or ambushed by the foot clan. We need to know everything important that was reported from last night. Perhaps a break in or a robbery, or even a late night disturbance that couldn't be identified. And who's better at providing the social media with nonsensical information than Grody?"

By the time Donatello had finished with his somewhat confusing explanation, Mikey had found the news channel. A man with a dark complexion, sitting at a large table, in front of a yellow backdrop filled the screen. He had a blue suit, neatly pressed, making him look very crisp and professional, even though there was no sign of a tie on his white undershirt. A small, fuzzy, mustache was spread across his upper lip, and his tall, equally dark, hair was combed and slicked back in an almost unnatural looking way.

Donnie deflated slightly.

"Oh, well, there's that guy. But still, you get my point."

"Well done Donatello," Splinter praised.

Raph, however, had his doubts.

"What if there _isn't_ anything on the news?" he asked, glancing from Donnie to the news reporter on the screen, "I mean, anything actually _helpful_."

Donatello paused for a second, thinking.

"Well, if there _isn't_ anything on the news then we could assume the foot are involved somehow," Donnie pondered aloud.

"What about the Kraang?"

"Raph," Donnie sighed, "The Kraang are too stupid to know how to cover their tracks. At least, to cover them completely."

Raphael nodded, satisfied with his answer, and eyed the news reporter incredulously.

Everyone watched and listened with rapt attention for any news related to events from the previous night. But the only news Carlos Chiang O'Brien Gambe seemed to have was about a rescue shelter that had gone out of business and was scheduled for demolition later that week.

It didn't take long till the three brothers were thoroughly bored of the news channel and irritated with Carlos' sentimental feelings towards puppies. Or maybe that was just Raph, who had taken the liberty of sitting down on the couch-like ledge with Donatello.

Master Splinter, on the other hand, was still watching with devout intensity.

_"In other news, the New York Police Department promises to, and I quote, _'Crack down on criminal activity downtown.'" Carlos continued.

Raphael snorted in bitter amusement at that statement.

"Man! Isn't there _ever_ anything interesting on the news?" Michelangelo complained.

"At least he's done talking about the animal shelter," Raph mumbled.

"Yeah. That was sad. All those puppies," Mikey whimpered mournfully.

"Quiet down my sons," Splinter interrupted quickly, "Something is happening."

Raphael turned his attention back to the screen to see Carlos shuffling through some papers uncertainly before holding a finger to his ear.

_"Hold on, I'm getting something from our producer,"_ he paused for a second, his eyes gazing just off the camera for a second before they snapped back to attention, _"Okay, this just in! An abandoned warehouse was reported to have caught fire and burned down to the ground early last night! Locals, having seen the fire, called in the authorities."_

"Wow," Donatello whispered in awe as images of the had-been warehouse were posted across the screen.

Ashes and charred remains piled on top of each other in black and grey mounds where the warehouse used to be. Blackened pillars of steel reached up out of the rubble like twisted skeletal fingers, warped from the intense heat.

It amazed Raphael that so much destruction could be caused by one simple element of nature. It was almost beautiful.

_"Authorities are saying the fire was most likely caused when an outdated breaker box exploded due to faulty wiring,"_ Carlos continued, _"Even though there were no reports of citizens occupying the building at the time of the fire, a search and rescue team has been active on the scene. And though they have seemed to recover the remains of human possessions, there have been no reports of people being either injured or killed."_

A picture of some barely recognizable as 'human possessions' showed them laid in rows on the ash covered ground in front of the destroyed building.

And Raphael thought that one item in particular, looked terribly familiar.

"Mikey pause it!" he shouted.

Mikey obeyed almost instantly, and the image froze.

Raph leaned forward, inspecting the object on the screen that had caught his attention. It was a long, thin strip of smoke stained metal. It was a little warped, and twisted but it still reminded him of-

_No. _he interrupted his train of thought abruptly, shaking his head,_ It's just my imagination._

It could have been anything. Just a random piece of metal that was salvaged.

Yeah. That was it. Just a piece of metal. But Raph still couldn't shake the feeling..

"What? What is it?" Mikey asked, squinting at the screen, "Do you see something?"

Raphael hesitated, unsure. He didn't want to make a big deal out of nothing.

"I- I thought I did..." he stammered uncertainly.

He also didn't want everyone to freak out over something that his paranoia had come up with. What if his eyes were just playing tricks on him? Then again, the more he looked at the strip of burnt, twisted metal, the more convinced he became that this _wasn't_ his imagination getting the best of him.

The smaller end could be the tang, and where it thins out on one side, it looks like it could have been sharpened. His heart sped up in his chest. But he wouldn't dare say anything out loud.

Donatello gasped in horrified realization.

"Is that Leo's katana?!"

Raph felt his insides twist painfully.

"It could just be a piece of melted metal though," he tried to reason, "Right?"

"Is that Leo's kunai?" Mikey asked quietly, a slight tremble in his voice as he pointed to a small, barely recognizable, throwing knife, laying on the ground next to the other salvaged items. It looked exactly like the kunai Leo always hid inside his wrist wrap in case of an emergency.

Raph felt a lump lodge itself in his throat, and he swallowed, trying to force it back down. _How_ the little blade had survived the fire was beyond his comprehension. But there was no doubt, that Leo's things were in that warehouse. And if they were in the warehouse, Leo must have been in there too. Though, Leo had left them behind, something he'd have never done if he had the choice. Maybe he was there when the fire first started and had to leave his weapons behind in order to get out safely.

Except, he didn't come home. Which would've been the first thing he would've done. Which meant he could be hurt, unconscious.. Or worse.

"Do- do you think, that Leo could've been in there? In the fire?" Mikey's trembling voice asked.

Raph looked up at his Sensei.

Splinter's jaw was set, neither frowning nor smiling. His ears were laid back and his eyes were filled with fear.

"Yes Michelangelo," he answered, "I am afraid that it is very possible."


	8. Chapter-8

**Alright, chapter eight! Thank you all so much for your comments and support. It really means a lot. :) **

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Alas! I still do not own TMNT. **

_

**Chapter 8 **

Raphael shot up off the couch,

"Then we need to get out there and find him!" he shouted.

Donatello stood with him, determination written in his expression.

Splinter closed his eyes and dipped his snout down in quiet thought.

"No," he whispered.

"What?" Raph asked in shock, whipping around to face his Sensei in disbelief.

"I said, no," Splinter replied louder, a slight tremor stealing into his voice as he looked back up at them, "It is too dangerous for you to go up to the surface at this hour. The sun will have risen above the city by now, and you cannot go out in daylight."

"Sensei!" Raphael exclaimed, flabbergasted, "Leo could be hurt out there somewhere, without help! Should _he_ be out in the daylight any more than us?!"

"No," Splinter shook his head, "But Leonardo would not want you three to put yourselves in harms way for his sake. And what would happen if one of you were hurt, captured or killed? Then you would most certainly be of no help to your brother."

Raph saw Donnie's head dip down in thought at their Sensei's words, his expression vacant. Raphael knew his brother well enough to recognize when the logic was winning his brain over.

But Raph was indignant. This was their _brother_ they were talking about! And Sensei wanted them to do nothing?!

Splinter continued on, ignoring Raphael's furious expression, "If we knew exactly where Leonardo was, then it would be different. But I don't like the idea of you three scouring the city in broad daylight. When you are busy looking for something, it is easy to become oblivious to things looking for you. Also, as far we can tell, the humans above are not yet aware of Leonardo's presence somewhere among them, and it is possible that if they happen to notice unusual amounts of activity, they will become more aware of what is going on around them. All it would take would be one wrong move, or one misplaced step, and your brother's safety would be compromised. No. I will not risk you or your brother's safety."

"So we're just going to _abandon_ him?!" Raph asked angrily, clenching his fists.

Splinter looked at Raphael with pain and hurt reflected in his eyes.

"I would never say that," he answered softly, "As soon as the sun begins to set, you will all go and search for Leonardo," raising his voice with a stern edge he added, "And none of you will be permitted to leave any time sooner. Understood?"

Donatello sat back down on the couch with a heavy sigh.

"Hai Sensei," he breathed quietly.

Mikey looked down at the floor and nodded silently.

_ This is stupid! _Raph thought to himself, _We need to be out there looking for Leo! I don't care if I have to walk across time square holding a giant sign with flashing lights saying 'HEY EVERYONE! CALL THE POLICE! I HAVE A BOMB STRAPPED TO MY SHELL!' As long as we find him._

"Raphael," Splinter's voice asked, gentle but still firm, "Am I understood?"

Raph wanted to argue, bite back a smart remark like he would to Leo, but he didn't dare show his Sensei such disrespect. His stomach clenched at the thought of his annoying, teacher's pet brother, and it knotted painfully at the thought of leaving him. He sighed in frustration. He didn't like it. Not at all. But Splinter was waiting for a response, and ignoring the ninjitsu master would be just as disrespectful as talking back.

"Hai Sensei," he managed between clenched teeth, looking away.

"Thank you Raphael," Splinter breathed, "I know you believe that I'm being unreasonable. I only want the rest of you to be safe, and to avoid taking any unnecessary risks," he said gently.

Raph bit back an angry growl before it could escape his mouth.

"But I am not insane either," Master Splinter continued, "And I _do_ understand the urgency in finding Leonardo as quickly as possible. Even though you cannot go above ground in daylight, doesn't mean that we cannot ask _others_ to assist us. I'm sure Casey and April would be more than willing to begin the search until you three can join them after dusk. Does that sound reasonable?"

Raph relaxed a little, as Donatello nodded, pulling out his t-phone.

"I'll go ahead and call them," the purple masked turtle commented, dialing in either April or Casey's number. Most likely April's.

Raph looked up at Master Splinter and nodded.

"Hai Sensei."

Splinter closed his eyes and tipped his head down for a few more seconds before turning to leave. His steps slow and heavy.

"There will be no training today," he announced, though it wasn't with the usual spirit or conviction.

Usually that kind of announcement would cause a time of rejoicing and celebration in the lair.

Not this time. Now there was just a heavy silence that thickened the air like pudding.

Raph sat back down, feeling sick. His stomach churning.

Leo was out there somewhere, alone and probably hurt. And there was nothing Raphael could do.

Donnie held his phone to his ear, his other hand anxiously pressed against his mouth.

"Come on. Please pick up. _Please_ pick up," he mumbled, "April!" he exclaimed suddenly, with both urgency and relief. Standing up, he began to pace back and forth from the living room to his lab as he explained the situation to April.

Raph leaned forward in his seat, resting his head in his hands, his stomach twisting into knots. He hadn't even bothered to wish Leo a good-bye last night before he left. Now, with a sickening pang of guilt, he wished that he had.

"Hey Raph?" a small voice squeaked.

Raphael looked up to see Mikey's hunched form in front of the TV screen, his baby blue eyes, filled with fear and worry, staring at him.

"What?" Raph growled, instantly on the defensive.

Mikey ignored the tension in the hot head's tone, glancing back up at the glowing screen.

"Do you think Leo made it out of that fire okay?" he asked quietly.

"How should I know?" Raph snapped, "Besides, who says he was even _in_ the fire? He could have gotten out before the the fire even started."

Mikey looked down, his eyes gaining a watery sheen, "Because then he would've come home."

They both sat there quietly for a minute, the truth of Mikey's words setting heavily on them like a load of bricks laid on their shells. Donnie's voice quickly became just background noise as their minds refused to divert attention from their missing brother.

"I can't believe I was excited to see him punished by Master Splinter this morning," Mikey whispered guiltily, a slight squeak was in his voice, betraying his attempt to hold back tears. He sniffed loudly, sliding his arm across his nose.

He'd never admit it, but Raphael had looked forward to it too. Guilt pitted in his already knotted stomach, wrenching it painfully. He wasn't used to this kind of feeling, and he _certainly_ didn't like it. Also, the fact that he wasn't permitted to do anything about it, didn't help at all. A feeling of total helplessness overtook him, but he forced it down with angry denial. An unbearable itching feeling crawled up his shell, and arms, making his muscles tense. He had to do something, anything. Shifting he tried to ward off the restless feeling that plagued his aching limbs.

Standing abruptly in his frustration, he let out an irritated growl. Sitting there wouldn't accomplish anything.

Tears began to leak from Mikey's eyes and the orange masked turtle let out another pitiful sniff, trying to hold them back.

Raph rolled his eyes in both disgust and irritation.

"Quit sniveling," he snapped, turning to leave, "I'm going to my room. Come get me when it's time to go," he growled.

Marching down the hallway, he headed to his room. The door was still wide open from when he'd rushed out earlier that morning, but this time he didn't hesitate slamming the door closed behind him.


	9. Stay-Alive

**Hey guys! I just want to start off by thanking you all for sticking with the story. I know it's been a slow last few chapters, but now we'll finally be getting to some good stuff! ****Also, I almost had a panic attack 'cause I go to a girls camp for a week and for a split second I thought it was the week I was supposed to post this chapter. Then I rechecked and all was good! *Phew!* Dodged a bullet there! ':D I want to give a huge thank you to CelandineGranger for reviewing and critiquing this story! It's been a great help! **

**Now, the chapter we've all been waiting for!**

_

**Chapter 9**

Leonardo let the cool water flow smoothly over his aching limbs, soothing the hot burns on his arms and legs. He moaned hoarsely as he knelt in the cold water. It lapped at his numerous cuts making them sting, especially the one on his upper right arm. Which felt like it was occupying a whole nest of angry hornets, crawling and stinging as they pleased.

But at least the burns felt better.

He dragged himself out of the rushing water and collapsed onto his plastron on the cold, hard ground. His body felt beaten and his whole chest ached with every, toiling breath. A dull throb pulsed inside of his skull, clouding his thoughts.

He tried to stand but his body screamed with pain in protest. So he only made an effort to turn himself over onto his carapace, panting heavily.

_Where, am I? _He wondered tiredly, looking up into darkness, _And how did I get here?_

He felt groggy and unfocused, almost as if someone had drugged him. His vision was hazy at best, but if he tried to focus, it only gave him an even _bigger_ headache.

Pain was the only thing that he was _completely_ aware of, as it ravaged both his mind and body mercilessly.

A sudden wave of nausea swept over him and he managed to scramble onto his hands and knees before he threw up. It was mostly water, but the bitter taste that it left in his mouth insisted it to be an unearthly toxin of some kind.

The acidic stench was even worse, burning his already aching lungs. His weakened stomach couldn't handle it, and it convulsed uncontrollably making him throw up three more times.

After throwing up a fourth time, he used the brief halt between convulsions to crawl desperately for higher ground, trying to escape the horrible stench. He succeeded, managing to make it up a slight rise in the cold concrete, though not without much painful complaints from his soar and aching body. His throat still burned and his mouth felt raw, but at least he could relieve his lungs from the terrible smell.

He was panting, hard, his breath hot and sticky.

His gut clenched in miniature spasms, and it made him gag, but at least the worst of it was over. Or so he thought.

A riveting bolt of pain jolted through him, starting from his leg and following his spine up through his shell, setting off another fit of convulsions, forcing him to dry heave twice. Leo's body shook painfully from the exertion and he let out a weak groan.

Why couldn't he just pass out? At least then he wouldn't have to deal with the pain for a little while.

His stomach ached from its gruesome spasms, and he felt scorching heat begin to burn into his skin.

He just felt like dying, and almost wished that he would already..

But something inside of him made him reluctant. An image of a tall figure began to form in his mind. It was hazy and unfocused at first, but it became steadily clearer. And, as it did, Leonardo could slowly begin to make out soft brown fur, and pointed ears laid back in a relaxed position on top of a long furry face. A slender, whiskered snout smiled gently at him along with loving brown eyes.

_Father._

Other images faded into his mind. A shadowed figure hunched over a glowing screen. His intelligent red brown eyes glued to the computer, with a serious, deep thinking expression.

_Donnie._

He held onto these images with all his might, not daring to let them go.

Next was a freckled face smiling at him with pure and innocent joy. His baby blue eyes sparkled with love, admiration, and mischievous humor.

_Mikey._

And, in return, they gave him strength.

Venom green eyes glared at him in stubborn rebelliousness from a strip of blood red, as muscular, green arms crossed over a brown plastron determinedly.

_Raph._

Leonardo clenched his fists.

_I have to get back home._ He thought, moaning softly.

Gritting his teeth and gathering as much strength as he could muster, Leo got to his knees. Then, taking a deep, painful breath, he forced himself from his knees to his feet.

Breathing heavily from the effort he tried not to fall back over as a wave of dizzying, light headedness washed into his brain.

He took a step forward trying to steady himself, underestimating how weak his body had become and tripped on his own feet. Stumbling forward he was just able to catch himself on the rough cement wall before falling.

Leaning with his shoulder dependently on the cold concrete, he gasped for air through the hot fire that relentlessly tore through his weakened body. Trying to wait out the dizzy spell and muster up some small shred of strength.

Something warm began to ooze down his arm and it confused his exhausted mind. He reached over with his left hand to feel what it was and sharp pain jolted into his shoulder. He jerked his hand away with a startled cry, but not before the tips of his fingers were coated with a warm, sticky liquid.

Blood.

The blood from the gash in his bicep crept slowly down his arm, thicker than normal, which was definitely _not_ good. He had enough semblance of sense to know that he needed to slow the bleeding down, otherwise he would end up passing out from bloodloss.

_Then again... That wouldn't be so bad either..._ He thought to himself. He imagined falling into warm blackness, without pain, without struggle.

He shook his head with a miserable groan. No, he couldn't think that way. Not if he wanted to make it home.

But what could he possibly use? He didn't have any of his gear.

A temporary solution entered into his mind. It would hurt like shell, but it _was_ a solution. And the best one he had at the moment.

His heart thudded loudly in his ears and his breathing quickened as he closed his eyes in painful anticipation. Bringing his left hand over to his right arm, he let out a few hefty breaths in preparation and inward encouragement.

With one fast movement he pressed his hand firmly against the large, open cut, biting back a scream of pain. It hurt so bad, like a thousand daggers digging deeper into his already sore muscle.

Panting, Leonardo slowly reopened his eyes as the pain began to ebb away, turning into a burning throb. He concentrated on how the cut felt against his palm and grimaced as he pinched the two ridges if slick skin together with his thumb and forefinger, trying to close the gash.

Blood seeped out of the wound from the sudden added pressure, covering his hand and streaming down his arm. But it slowed to a near halt not long afterward.

Leo tried not to think about the warm stickiness that now covered his forearms.

At least the pressure was enough to slow the initial blood flow. And, even though it still hurt like shell, it wasn't too unbearable.

He exhaled shakily in relief, though he new that this was far from over.

Groaning he shifted against the cold concrete and, with a grimace of pain, slowly eased himself away from the supportive wall.

His legs were weak and wobbly, threatening to give out on him, but he managed to keep himself upright.

Disoriented, dizzy, and more tired than he'd ever been in his life, he had no idea which way was the right way to go. Which way could possibly be the way home?

He decided to just go straight ahead. It saved him some energy not thinking too hard about about it, and going straight was better than going nowhere.

Though, if he was honest with himself, even if he did get _somewhere_, there was no telling if that somewhere was going to be closer or farther from home. And he didn't know how much time he had left to waste. Wandering the sewers all night was tiring for someone in peak physical condition, let alone someone who was bleeding out by the second and who'd just thrown up their last nourishing meal since..

Leo groaned. He didn't even know how long it had been since he'd eaten last.

But he had to try and stay positive. Despite the grim situation.

He trudged on in the dark, in pain and exhausted. His blood gradually seeping past his fingers to drip down his arm.

There were many times when he'd trip over his numbing feet and fall to the cold ground, just to spend even more energy trying to stand back up. And almost every single one of those times he thought for sure that, that was it. That he wouldn't have enough strength to get back up again. But then he would think of his family, waiting for him at home. They all were probably worried sick because of him.

He kept picturing their wonderful faces, and repeating their names over and over in his head.

_Father, Donnie, Mikey, Raph._

It helped. Gave him motivation. Sometimes he'd have to change it up a bit, so instead of saying Father he'd say Splinter or Sensei. Or instead of always saying Donnie he might say Donatello. Just to try and keep his mind active.

It wasn't much. But it kept him going.

It didn't take long, however, that the names of his family began to slip numbly past his lips. Becoming a chanting whisper, as everything began to fade slowly away.

"Sensei, Donnie, _Mikey, Raph. Sensei, Donn-ie. Mike.. Raf..." _

_

**Well, there it is! Please tell me what you think in the comments, and thank you for reading! Have a great week everyone! :D **


	10. Where’s-Raph?

**Hey guys! Thank you all so much for the awesome comments! It makes me so happy to know that you're enjoying this! And I know you all are _really _wanting to know what's going on with Leo, but if I told you right away, where'd be the fun in that? ;) **

**So just hang with me! And please hit me with the comments! I love learning from people's advice, so if you have anything that could help this story come more to life, please comment and let me know! Even grammar corrections! :) **

**_**

**Chapter 10**

"Mikey?_ Mi-key,_" a quiet voice cut through the blissful darkness, and the orange banded turtle stirred slightly from his peaceful slumber.

"Urmgh.. Leave me _alone,_" Mikey mumbled.

"Come on Mikey, wake up," the voice said gently and Mikey recognized it as Donatello's.

He felt his purple masked brother put a hand on his shoulder and gently shake it in an attempt to rouse him.

Unfortunately for Mikey, it was working.

"Urgh," he groaned tiredly, turning over out of Donnie's reach and burying his face in his arms, "Whyeeee? Leave me alooone," his muffled voice mumbled.

"It's dusk," Donnie said patiently, "We can go up to the surface now."

"I don't _want_ to go. Let me sleeep."

"Mikey. We need to go help Casey and April."

"Help them with _what?" _he paused before adding, "_You_ go help your girlfriend."

Donnie hesitated, and Mikey sighed at the peace and quiet. Hoping that his little tease had convinced his brother to give up on him entirely.

"Mikey," Donnie said again, then more quietly, "We need to help them find Leo."

Mikey's eyes instantly shot open as he jolted awake, jumping up off of the living room ledge with instant, renewed energy. Donnie yelped in surprise at his little brother's sudden change in behavior and quickly stumbled backwards before Mikey ran him over.

"Leo!" Mikey cried, "We need to find Leo! Don't worry D! You get the weapons and I'll get Raph! RAPH!" he shouted, bolting for the bedrooms, leaving a stunned and surprised Donatello in his wake.

Not even bothering to knock, he threw the door open to Raphael's room, all concerns for personal safety thrown to the wind.

"Raph! Hurry! We need to go look for Leo!" he shouted into the dark room.

Raph didn't respond, just laid like a depressed lump underneath his covers.

"Come on Raph!" Mikey cried anxiously, "You can be angry later! But Leo needs our help right now!"

Raph still didn't respond and Mikey's patience had reached the breaking point. Desperate now, Mikey didn't care if his brother was going to pound him into pulp, all that mattered at that moment was finding their bro. And Raph was not only being a total jerk, but he was keeping the rest of them from going out and helping Leo. Who, in case Raphael forgot, was probably hurt, and lost, and who knows what else.

As far as Mikey was concerned Raph could suck it up for once.

Storming into the room he grabbed the blankets, "Get up!" he shouted, angrily ripping them off of Raph's bed.

But his anger was instantly replaced with shock when he saw, not the expected green shell of Raphael, but two, expertly laid pillows.

Mikey stared with wide eyes at the empty bed, too stunned to move or even speak. His mouth hung open dumbly as his brain tried to process the information his eyes were sending.

His heart skipped a beat as panic struck him in the chest. Dropping the bed covers he darted back into the living room.

_ First Leo disappears, and now Raph?!_ He thought with a pang of terror.

Donatello was standing at the lair exit, his bo staff strapped to his shell and Mikey's nunchucks in one hand. He seemed majorly preoccupied in looking through a leather satchel that was slung across his shoulder, but that didn't faze the young turtle at all.

"Donnie!" Mikey cried, his panic spilling out into his voice.

Donnie's head snapped up to look at Mikey, his expression filled with alarm and confusion.

"What?" Donatello asked alertly, "what's wrong?"

"It's Raph!" Mikey answered fearfully, "He's gone!"

~~~~~~

Raphael had doubled back to the charred remains of the warehouse for what felt like the one hundredth time, and he still hadn't found the single most teeniest of clues that could lead him to Leo's whereabouts. Which was both really infuriating and a little terrifying.

It forced him to think, what if Leo didn't make it out of the fire in time? Were his brother's bones buried somewhere in the ashes and rubble of the warehouse? Smooth white beneath piles of powdered black?

Raph shuddered and shoved the thought away.

_ No. _He thought stubbornly, clenching his fists, _Leo's alive.. He _has_ to be. He had to have made it out okay. _

Raphael refused to believe anything otherwise. To him it was an impossibility. He just had to figure out where the fearless leader _really _went.

And that was the tricky part.

Raph looked down at the black remains of the warehouse from his vantage point on a nearby rooftop, sighing in frustration. It would be easier if he could actually go down there and search for clues in the rubble itself. But there was still _way_ too much activity to explore safely, let alone comfortably.

Sure most of the news crews had moved out a while ago, but there were still the people who absolutely _had_ to take their picture with the demolished building in the background. And then there were the safety personnel making sure that those selfie lovers didn't do something stupid.

He eyed the burnt ruins searchingly.

_Buildings burned down to the ground look much_ _worse in person than they do on TV. _Raph noted to himself with a chilling shiver.

He felt his t-phone buzz to life with a cheerful little ditty, and he pulled it out to see Donatello's name scrawled across the screen.

_Looks like they found my decoy._ Raphael concluded, hitting the decline button and slipping the t-phone back into his belt without a second glance.

What would be the point to answering?

He was going to be yelled at in a little while anyway. It was already dusk and he knew he'd end up running into the others soon enough in their search. _Then_ he would deal with Donnie's lecturing for sneaking out.

Though, honestly, they should've seen that one coming. Did they seriously think that he would just sit at home peacefully? Doing nothing, just waiting until Master Splinter let him go? To just abandon Leo, who was most definitely in danger?

Apparently.

_What kind of spineless, gutless, careless kind of person do they think I am? _Raph thought with an annoyed growl, more than mildly offended.

He would do just about _anything _to get one of his brothers back home, and for anyone to truly believe otherwise was absolutely insulting.

Raphael surveyed the surrounding rooftops, sucking in a strenuous breath of air. The city seemed so infinite. Glowing lights, tall buildings, and an impossible maze of backroads and alleys stretched out in every direction. His brother was out there somewhere, alone and most likely injured. And there was no telling how much time they had left to search, or if it was already too late. It seemed like an impossible feat.

"Don't worry Leo," he whispered, "I promise, if it's the last thing I do, I'll find you. And bring you home."


	11. The-Search

**Hey guys, I'm so sorry about this. I really wanted to get this chapter posted early, but it seemed like the whole world was against me. So I'm going to try and get the next chapter posted early, and hopefully things won't be so against me this time. Please forgive me (JillieBean073)**

Donatello put his t-phone back in his belt.

"Yep, Raph snuck out," he sighed, trying not to let his frustration spill out into his tone. Donnie had spent the whole day figuring out a plan to efficiently and affectively execute the search for Leonardo. And it involved Raphael.

"Yeah, that sounds like Raph," Mikey chuckled nervously.

"I just wish he would have waited for us to go with him!" Donnie said, exasperated, "I had a whole search plan plotted out to cover eight miles in diameter, using the warehouse fire as the mid point."

"Eight miles?" Mikey gulped.

Donatello nodded in response.

"I calculated how far Leo could have wandered from the origin of the fire, taking into consideration the possibility of him having an injury, and, of course, I understand that different injuries affect traveling speed, as well as how critical they are."

Donnie could start to see Mikey's eyes begin to glaze over and he knew that he was losing him.

He sighed.

"Long story short, the average was from eight to nine miles. In a radial search, however, that's a lot of ground to cover in one night. But I figured that between the three of us we could handle it. Especially if Casey and April pitch in."

"Uh," Mikey raised a hand tentatively, "You mean the two of us, right?"

"Yeah," Donnie answered, letting out another frustrated sigh, "Now, with just the two of us left, we'll have to split the search area in half. Here," Donatello reached into his satchel and pulled out the roll of paper. He then handed it to Mikey.

"I plotted out the whole search area and marked it on this map, so_ don't lose it_. I'll search the eastern half, and you search the western. Got it?"

Mikey nodded, taking the paper.

"But, won't you be needing a map?" he asked.

Donnie shook his head.

"I shouldn't. But just in case I do, I have a miniature copy," he said, patting the leather satchel at his side, "Now, this is how I strategized the search pattern. You basically start on the outside perimeter and work your way back to the warehouse. If you find either April, Casey, or Raph, get them to help you with your half. Once we've searched the surface, we'll meet at the warehouse ruins to organize a thorough search through the sewers. Okay?"

Mikey gulped, his baby blue eyes wide with fear and anxiety. Donnie couldn't blame him. He felt the same way.

After all, Leo's very life could be on the line right now. And it was up to them to find him before it was too late.

Donnie put a hand on Mikey's shoulder encouragingly.

"Don't worry," he said gently, "We'll find him. Now, do you understand what I'm telling you to do?"

Mikey nodded, much to Donatello's relief. The sooner they could begin the search, the better the chances were of successfully locating Leonardo.

"Good. Any questions?"

"Yeah. How do I know where I need to start searching?" Mikey asked.

"I put an 'X' on the map to mark where you should start," Donnie answered, and Mikey instantly began to unroll the chart, inspecting the marks grids and points that Donnie had marked.

After a few seconds of intense analysis, Mikey's face brightened excitedly.

"Found it!" he exclaimed.

"Great!" Donnie encouraged, "Then let's not waste any more time. Every second spent here could've been used in our search."

"Got it!" Mikey shouted, bolting with amazing speed out of the lair, and turning left.

"Mikey!" Donnie called his blur of a brother, running after him, "Mikey! You're going the wrong way!"

Michelangelo stopped dead in his tracks, whirling back around to face Donatello.

"What? I am?"

"Yes!" Donnie cried, exasperated, then pointed sharply in the opposite direction Mikey had been heading, "West is that way!"

"Oh, sorry!" Mikey yelped, rushing off in the correct direction.

"Just look at the map and you'll be fine!" Donnie called after him, but his little brother was already long gone.

"Please look at the map?" he pleaded quietly, knowing full well that Mikey probably wouldn't.

Donnie's heart sank.

Mkey _meant_ well, but he wasn't necessarily _known_ to put his full attention into the task at hand.

Donatello sighed before heading off towards his own starting point.

Unless one of them found Raph, the genius turtle doubted that this 'coordinated' search party would be a success.

The horrible image of the burned out skeleton of a warehouse kept popping into his head, making him shudder. A suffocating sense of death hovered over him like a hungry vulture, and he suddenly felt sick.

He forced down the churning in his stomach and tried to concentrate only on what needed to be done.

_Okay, I know what I'm doing. I know where I'm going. I can do this._ He encouraged himself.

Hurrying through the dark, cold sewers, his steps were confident and his eyes locked on where he needed to go. His demeanor portraying an intense focus on what he needed to do.

But deep down, Donatello had never been more terrified. What if his plan didn't work? What if they never found Leo? Or worse, what if they did?

An image of Leonardo's stiff, cold body laying abandoned in an alley, burnt almost beyond recognition from the fire. His once clear blue eyes glazed over, staring lifelessly into nothingness, unblinking.

Donnie shook his head, horrified by the image his mind had so easily provided for him.

He suddenly hated his scientifically grounded thinking. Why couldn't his brain be more like Mikey's? Completely oblivious to scientific plausibility, friend to the unrealistic. Surely a thought process like that would hold more hope.

Tears sprang into his firm eyes, softening them, and he felt bitter towards himself for it. This was no time to cry.

**Poor Donnie, he's trying so hard to look on the bright side. I'm sorry for another cliffhanger!! But please trust me when I say Leo's coming back in very soon!**

**Please comment and tell me what you think! I literally had a dream last night that I suddenly had 70 some new comments.. At first I didn't believe it, then I started reading them and I was thoroughly overjoyed! The only downside was that my alarm clock went off. / And don't think your comments won't matter, they're just as powerful to a writer as the story is to the reader, and I cherish every one of them. (: So please comment!**


	12. Mikey’s-doubt

**Hey guys! So here it is! One week early! Yaay!!! I really had to crunch to get this chapter in! But I really wanted to get this one out there like I said I would. So there are probably a thousand and one grammar land mines, and if you see one please let me know! It would be very helpful! (Sorry!) ':D **

**Also, after experiencing this first hand, I'm going to let you all know that this will not be a regular thing. Maybe once Christmas break gets here I'll throw out a couple chapters early. Ya know, when school is no** **longer a determining factor. (; (But still no promises!) **

**Another thing. A close friend of mine just lost her grandma to a car accident this past week. It's hitting them all really hard, and if any of you guys could pray for God to bring his comfort to them that would be so great. If you aren't a praying person that's ok, if you can just keep them in mind and remember that you don't know when will be the last time you could ever see or talk with someone again. So don't waste the precious few words you can exchange together. And tell your grandma you love her. **

**Anyway, you guys aren't here to hear me rattle on about my life. Let's get back to the story!**

** Chapter 12**

Michelangelo's once hurried rushing had slowed to a steady walk.

He'd managed to get lost three times already, and had to check the map frequently to prevent there from being a fourth. Every so often he'd feel the urgent sensation to hurry and would quicken his pace, just to slow back down a short time later.

He tried to concentrate on what he needed to do, but it wasn't a habit he was used to keeping. It especially didn't help that he was scared, nervous, and even more restless than usual.

When he'd found out that Raph had already left to look for Leo, he'd felt an overwhelming mixture of shame and fear.

Shame that, while he was snoozing in the living room, Raph had stopped at nothing to get out of the lair so he could find Leo as soon as possible. And fear that if Raph had been searching this whole time without any success, even _with_ Donnie's special map, they might never find Leo.

Mikey thought back to when Donnie was telling him what to do back at the lair. He was so calm and collected, had already figured out a plan, and even made a map for it. He wasn't jumpy, or nervous, or scared, he was confident, steady, and faced this horrific accident with amazing courage.

Mikey wished he could be more like that. Have a mind like a steel trap, knowing if something was true just from knowledge saved to memory.

If Mikey could do that, he had a feeling that things would look much more hopeful right now.

But he couldn't. Instead he was hurrying through the dark sewers with the sick and terrifying realization that every second he spent scrambling in the dark, was another second condemning Leo to a helpless, hopeless fate.

Michelangelo couldn't help the despair creeping inside of him, poisoning his confidence.

What could he possibly do to help in this situation? Look at what his brothers did! Raph had started searching early, and Donnie spent all day making a map.

What did Mikey do? He took a nap.

_I'm sorry Leo._ He thought, never feeling more ashamed of himself.

No, he knew he wouldn't be of any help. But he could at least try, and as long as one of the others found Leo, then it would all be ok. Mikey would just have to make sure he stayed out of their way, and they would take care of everything.

_Don't worry bro, Raph and Donnie'll find you._

He glanced down at the map again to make sure that he was still going the right way. This part of the sewers was darker and less frequented than the rest of the underground complex. There weren't as many interconnecting tunnels, so you could walk straight down one for five minutes before it finally split off into two different directions.

_I bet that's why Donnie sent me this way. _He concluded with a small frown.

It was colder there too. Greasy, slime filled puddles riddled the cement ground. A river of oil slicked water, almost as bad as the puddles on the pathway, oozed lazily in the river-way of the tunnel floor.

Mikey shivered and avoided stepping in the gooey puddles.

This part of the sewers always gave him the creeps. This specific part of the underground complex was to his brothers what a graveyard or abandoned house would be to humans.

A place with vengeful ghosts and man-eating monsters. The perfect scenery for a scary story. And, unfortunately, Raph was a _very_ good story teller.

Mikey had nightmares for months due to Raphael's made up ghost stories about that part of the sewers. And, during that time, Leo would rarely get a good nights sleep.

Whenever Mikey would have a nightmare, Leo's room became the first place to go. Of course, he knew he could have gone to Splinter. But going from your room, across the vast living area, to tiptoe up stairs into the cold dojo and ultimately open the large door leading into your fathers room, all of this in near pitch darkness, was very intimidating for a small turtle. Besides, he always felt bad for waking his Sensei up for such a childish reason. So Leo it was.

There was something safe and secure about being with his older brother. It also helped that there was always some form of light illuminating from the wall or the nightstand. It made him feel welcome. Plus, everyone knows that monsters can't get you if the light is on.

Mikey remembered the same old routine they would go through.

He'd go in to wake up his sleeping brother, and Leo would pull back the covers to let Mikey slip into the soft, warm bed next to him. Then he'd ask Mikey to describe what happened, and, most of the time, Mikey would.

What happened after that was completely based on how Mikey was feeling.

Sometimes Leo would read stories from old Japanese books that he'd borrowed from Splinter. Other times he'd make up a fun game to help Mikey forget about his nightmare. And on some occasions, when Mikey just didn't want to do or say anything, they would both just go to sleep. Leo would drape his arm protectively over Mikey, pulling him closer to his plastron, and the once terrified turtle would drift off to sleep with the comforting rise and fall of his older brother's chest.

The memory only made him cringe with more shame.

Since the beginning Leo had been there for him whenever he needed it.

Now, Leo was probably going through a _literal_ nightmare, and Mikey was doing anything but being helpful.

_Don't worry big bro, at least you're in two sets of good hands._ He thought bitterly.

Hanging his head he continued through the ever darkening tunnel, still avoiding stepping in the oily water, until he saw a rusted, metal ladder leading to the surface.

The sight made him perk up a bit, and he hurried over to it, eager to escape the suffocating grip of the spooky sewers.

He was just about to pull himself up onto the cold steel ladder when he heard something that made his blood freeze in his veins.

There was something, _moving_, farther down the tunnel.

He couldn't see what it was, the rest of the tunnel was shrouded in darkness thicker than chocolate pudding. But he could hear it, clear as day.

It sloshed wetly through the sludge-water unevenly, low mumbles and growls echoing through the passage.

Mikey felt the blood drain from his face as his temperature plummeted. Goosebumps plagued his light green skin as a chill colder than ice skittered up his spine.

His mind screamed for him to run but his body refused to obey, his feet planted to the cement. He stared wide-eyed into the dark tunnel, frozen with fear.

Whatever it was, he could hear it getting closer. Closer. Closer, with each uneven step. It's husky, ragged breaths ricocheting off of the walls and Mikey was convinced that he could hear it drooling.

His bones ached with cold terror, as his heart thudded in his ears at a thousand mile a minute, and all he could do at the moment was stand there to await whichever horror story would appear before him.

**_**

**Oh, yes! I did it again! *laughs evilly* I shall inflict the world with cliffhangers! And no one can stop me!!**

**Seriously though, I'm just as eager to get through this as the rest of you! I have, what I call, 'inspiration mood swings'. And basically what happens is I'll be on fire and get a bunch of writing done and it's beautiful and fluent. And the next thing I know everything slows way down in writing and all of a sudden I just get a blast of drawing inspiration! (Which is really frustrating if you need to get your next chapter posted) **

**And guess which one I hit? Yep. Drawing. So now I'm sitting at my desk doodling on the back of my school papers when I know I should be writing, or doing school. (Which I now blatantly graffiti on a daily basis.) And guess what kind of drawings they are? Fan art based off of this story. **

**So now I hit a dilemma. I really want to post some drawings that I seriously made, but I can't because if I do then it will give everything away! (Oh the irony!) **

**So now you're not the only ones being tortured by these cliffhangers and stinkin plot secrets. (;**


	13. Mikey?

**Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! And I want to apologize for the unusually short chapter this week. With the holidays all coming and going I've been busy with company, preparation, etc. Please forgive me, and hopefully the next chapter will be more fulfilling for you all. But hey! We get to see what's going on with Leo again!**

_

**Chapter 13**

Leonardo stumbled through the dark passageway. His whole body radiated heat, and yet he felt so cold.

Exhaustion had set in and his eyelids hung heavily, threatening to close. And he half wanted them too. But he was consumed with an overwhelming sense of dread that if they did, he might never be able to open them again. So he pushed forward on weak, trembling legs, desperately trying to fight against the warm void that tugged at his consciousness.

He continued his chant, unfaltering. And though it had helped to keep him aware for the first half of what seemed like eternity, it now slipped from his mouth, and echoed back to him without any recognition.

_"Splinter.. Donnie.. Mikey.. Raph.." _

A kind of numbness had filled him. Taking over his senses and voiding out the messages they were trying to send.

Which, in a way, was a relief, because then he didn't have to feel and register the torture his body was enduring with every agonizingly slow step.

His mind had zoned out as well. It was too hard to think clearly, and everything was becoming more and more confusing. The nauseating feeling of lightheaded dizziness overtaking him on one too many an occasion.

He was so tired and weak that he couldn't hold his arm up to slow the blood from his injury, and just let the aching limb fall back to his side. Too tired to care.

Without some sort of blockage, the blood oozed freely from the deep cut, becoming a thick stream of red that crept down until it dripped off his fingertips into the water at his feet.

All he knew was darkness. Suppressing him, trapping him. It crushed him like a heavy weight, seizing his lungs and making it harder to breathe. What little light he had left inside of him felt drained by it, sucked out until all that was left was pure, overwhelming darkness. He was filled with a heart wrenching despair that he would never escape its hold, and never know light again. He was alone. Lost in a never ending expanse of black. With no hope or assurance of ever seeing his family again.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the pitch black darkness of the tunnel got a little bit lighter. Turning a hazy grey.

His stomach lurched at the slight change, and he pushed on, desperately trying to reach the hope of light inside the overpowering darkness.

The tunnel took a sharp turn to the left and he followed it without really thinking. His mind only capable of registering the promising glow of light ahead.

Breaking out into a wider passageway he was illuminated in a dull grey light. He gasped as if his lungs had been deprived of breath, and he felt the crushing weight of darkness fall from his shoulders, leaving him filled with relief.

Another dizzy spell hit him and he stumbled forward in an attempt to steady himself. His vision was blurred and glaring, his eyes struggling to focus. All he could make out in the vague images his eyes were trying to send, were grey concrete walls and a black ribbon of water streaming down the middle of the tunnel.

Wait, there was something else. A green figure standing up ahead and off to the right. It looked familiar, and he struggled to remember why. But his brain felt thicker than sludge, and the blurred image that his eyes beheld was too confusing.

White and black spots began to fill his vision and he felt a silent, numbing, blackness creep from the back of his mind. Spreading out and infecting the rest of him like a disease of nothingness. He was going to lose consciousness.

Fighting it back as best as he could he stumbled forward a couple steps, knowing full well that all his attempts were in vain. He was too exhausted to win this fight. It was inevitable for unconsciousness to win, he had only hoped that he would've been able to make it home before it did.

In one last attempt to stay awake, he tried to focus on whatever was standing farther up the tunnel. Hoping beyond hope that the distraction would be enough to defeat the numbing darkness that was suffocating him.

His eyes caught a hint of orange and sudden recognition clicked in his brain.

Darkness tugged at the corners of his vision, and, struggling against the weakness that ravaged his body, he was barely able to gasp,

_"Mikey?" _

Before his knees buckled underneath him, unable to support him any longer. And he was enveloped in warm darkness..


	14. Hurry

**Hey guys! Welcome back! I hope everyone's been having a great couple of weeks! **

**I just want to shout out a special thanks to CelandineGranger again for helping me with my writing! She has given me so may great pointers and tips that I'm super grateful for! And to 000Marie198, who's been super encouraging and just a great friend! Both of these authors are really great and if you haven't heard of them before I highly recommend you check their stories out! You won't be disappointed! **

**Ok, back to the story! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT, the lair, or New York. ;) **

_

Chapter 14 

Michelangelo stood there, too shocked to move as Leonardo stumbled out of the dark tunnel and into view with a desperate, ragged gasp.

The sight was so unreal Mikey's mind couldn't seem to process it, and he just froze to the spot. Eyes wide in shock and horror.

Leo was standing in the drainage river. His scratched, husky breaths, though small and quick, echoed loudly through the tunnel, giving Mikey cold chills that scurried up and down his spine.

The light wasn't very good, but Michelangelo could still easily see the dark rivulets of blood flowing down Leo's arms and legs, seeping almost nonchalantly into the sewer water. A deep gash on Leo's right arm looked especially bad. The whole limb slicked with the dark oozing liquid, dripping lazily from the tips of his fingers.

Mikey couldn't cope with what he was seeing. His whole body was taught, ready to spring, but it refused to move, his feet feeling like they'd become one with the concrete floor as his heart fluttered unbelievably fast in his chest. He felt cold, but was too paralyzed to shiver. All the blood had drained from his face as pure terror clutched his heart, and clogged throat.

_It can't be real. _His mind argued, refusing to believe what was so obviously in front of him.

Leo stumbled forward again, as if catching himself, gasping desperately for breaths of air. He looked up at Mikey, his tired blue eyes glassy and faded.

"Mikey?" he rasped, before collapsing into the drainage river.

At the sight of his eldest brother falling unconscious into the water, Mikey instantly snapped out of his shocked trance.

"Leo!" he cried, his voice instantly returning.

Without a single second of hesitation he ran into the drainage river to help the fallen leader.

Sloshing to a quick halt, he knelt next to his brother's limp body and felt a deep sickening feeling knot in his stomach.

"Oh no," his voice shook.

As carefully as he could manage, Mikey pulled Leo's body over so that he was lying on his carapace, and made sure to hold his head his head out of the oily grease-slicked water.

He fumbled for his t-phone, his fingers feeling thick and clumsy. Finally getting a hold on it, he pulled it out and tried to call Donnie. His hands were shaking, and his heart was pounding hard and fast. Finally he was able to hit the call button and desperately pressed the t-phone to his ear.

The ring seemed to drag on, painstakingly slow, while Mikey watched Leo struggle harder and harder for his next breath. A terrible, sickening feeling of terror gripped his insides as the reality of the fact that he could be the witness to Leo's death was realized.

_Donnie will know what to do. He can still save Leo, Donnie can save him._ Mikey told himself over and over.

"Please pick up," he begged into the phone's mouth piece, watching helplessly as Leo fought for an even less rewarding breath than before, "And please, please hurry."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Donatello heard the familiar cheerful ditty of an incoming call and felt his heart almost stop.

Was it Casey? Or April? Had they found Leo? Did they need help?

His heart pounded as he quickly pulled his t-phone out and looked at the screen.

"Mikey," he muttered, instantly deflating.

_Great. He's probably lost the map already and needs directions._ Donnie thought with a roll of his eyes.

Picking up his pace he let it ring a few times before answering with a sigh,

"Donatello-"

"DONNIE!!" Mikey's voice practically screamed through the t-phone speaker.

Donnie jerked the phone away from his ear with a start at Mikey's ear piercing shriek.

He grimaced at the high pitched ring in his eardrum, switching the phone over to his other hand and tentatively putting it up to his other ear.

"Mikey! Don't shout into the t-phone!" he lectured angrily, more than a little distraught.

"I'm sorry 'D'," Mikey said quickly, making Donnie question the sincerity of the apology, "But he's hurt and I don't know what to do and-"

"Woah woah. Slow down Mikey," Donnie instructed calmly, "Slow down and start from the beginning. What happened?"

"It's Leo!" Mikey exclaimed over the phone and Donnie felt his blood run cold, "He's hurt really bad, there's blood everywhere! Donnie! What do I do?!"

Donnie skidded to a halt, feeling his heart drop into his stomach at Mikey's choked voice.

"Mikey, where are you right now?" he asked slowly.

"I'm still in the sewers. At the 'X'."

It took Donatello a second to figure out what Mikey was talking about, but was soon running full speed towards his brother's location. A map of the sewer system unfolding itself in his mind.

"Alright, I'm on my way. But it may take me a while to get there, so you'll have to take care of Leo till then. Got it?"

"Okay," Mikey's small voice squeaked, "But I- I don't know what to do!" he cried.

"It's ok," Donnie assured, surprised by how calm his voice was compared to the panicked drumming of his heart, "I just need every detail available. No matter how minuscule."

Donnie's gut twisted painfully with guilt at the idea of what horrible description his baby brother would be forced to depict.

Mikey was always the sensitive one, things affected him far more deeply and personally than it did the elder three. And it was no secret that they would do anything to save Mikey from any situation that could hurt him in any way. If there was any way to trade places with his only little brother and spare him from reality, Donatello wouldn't hesitate to take it. But Donnie had no choice here, and he hated it.

"You said there was a lot of blood, how much is 'a lot'?" even as the words left his mouth Donnie's heart hurt.

"A lot," Mikey's trembling voice answered, "It's all over."

"Does that mean he's still bleeding?"

"No. Wait. He is a little, but it's slow and thick."

"How thick?" Donnie needed more details, as much as it hurt him to know his little brother was the one analyzing every dirty detail.

"Like, really thick," Mikey's voice trembled quietly, "And he- he's so pale."

"Mikey, stay with me bro. You're Leo's only hope right now."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?!" Mikey cried, the fear in his voice ripping at Donnie's heart. The same heart that beat like a hummingbirds wings, in terror for his eldest brother's very life.

It hardly seemed fair. His younger brother's innocence, for his oldest brother's life.

And he could do nothing but charge on, hoping that if he kept giving Mikey instructions it might keep the youngest turtle focused.

"Mikey. Was Leo awake when you found him?"

"Uh- yes."

Finally some good news.

"Okay, that's good. Now this is very important, I need you to keep him awake."

"Ummm.. Why?"

"With that much blood loss he could very well be suffering exsanguination and if he falls asleep he could slip into a comatose state."

There was a dumbfounded silence from the other end of the call.

_Left!_ Donnie's mind reminded him at the last minute, and he turned sharply down a smaller, darker side tunnel.

"Comatose means a coma and the explanation of exsanguination isn't important right now," Donnie explained hurriedly, his mind rushing a mile a minute to keep track of all his thoughts, "Just keep him awake okay?"

"Uhm.."

The sound of Mikey's hesitant voice spilled dread into Donnie's stomach.

"Mikey. Leo _is_ awake right?"

"He was at first!" Mikey cried, "But then he just _collapsed_ before I could get to him!"

"Okay," Donnie bit his lip, "Okay, this isn't sounding good. Is there anything else? Has he moved or made any indication that he's trying to talk to you since he's lost consciousness?"

"No, I- I don't think so. But his breathing isn't normal!"

"What do you mean 'isn't normal'? Can you describe it? Every detail is important."

"It's-" Mikey never finished the sentence.

Donnie heard a high pitched 'beep' from from his t-phone and Mikey's call was abruptly cut off.

"Mikey?" Donnie called uselessly, fear chilling his skin when there was no answer, "Mikey?!"

Still no response.

He stopped at a fork in the tunnels and unclipped his t-phone from his shoulder strap.

"Connection lost," he read off of the screen.

_No! That's impossible! How could I have lost connection?!_

He clipped the unhelpful piece of technology back to the leather strap and turned right, picking up his pace to a mad-panicked dash.

His mind raced, prodding him to run faster, the satchel with his medical supplies thumping against his side.

_I need to get there! I need to be there! Leo could die! Leo could die if I don't make it in time!_ His panicked thoughts screamed at him as he sped through the dark dripping sewer tunnels.

Right. Then left. Left. Now right.

Each step through the maze of passages took him one step closer to his destination. But he couldn't help thinking that the step before could have been the step too late. His heart pounded heavily with fear for his brothers.

"Please," he prayed breathlessly, "Please let me get there, before it's too late."


	15. Breathe-with-me-bro

**Hey guys! I'm very happy to announce that... I'm alive! *laughs nervously* I know I left you all on a cliffhanger and I just want to say that I'm so sorry about that. Life has just been so hectaic lately, and the only thing that I could accurately compare it too would be a crazy hurricane riding on a bucking unicorn. So, yeah. Crazy life. And, to top it all off, the muse has gone completely AWOL, leaving my brain to feel like a swamp collection of unhelpful sludge. But finally! The next chapter! **

**I've also heard a couple people requesting that I make longer chapters. Please comment on your opinions and preferences concerning this subject. I, on one hand, would LOVE to post longer chapters! But, on the other hand, it would take more time between chapters to get all the writing done. And, as a reader, I had always preferred shorter chapters. So, please comment your preference and let me know what's more enjoyable/convenient for you! **

**Anyway! Enough talk! Let's get to the chapter! **

**_**

**Chapter 15**

Michelangelo heard his phone give a powering down 'bweeooop' and he frantically looked at his screen only to see a red battery bar flash a few times before the screen went completely black.

He stared at the blank screen for a few seconds, the horrific reality of what just happened sinking into his chilled skin.

"No," his voice cracked, almost inaudible as his hands shook, "No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" he rambled, trying desperately to turn his t-phone back on, knowing full well that his attempts were in vain.

"Come on! Turn on!" he cried at it desperately.

The screen remained dark.

Tears filled his eyes and he forced them closed, angrily hitting himself on the forehead.

_I'm so __stupid!_ He inwardly cursed himself, _First, I fall asleep in front of the TV, not giving Leo's search and rescue a second thought._ Then _I don't even remember to charge my t-phone while I'm sleeping. So now, the battery is dead at the absolute worst possible time because I'm too stupid to think things through! _

His phone dropped out of his hand into a puddle, but Mikey could care less as he pressed his face into his palms, choking back a sob.

_And now Leo's paying for it._

Tears streamed down his face, wetting his hands.

He was in the place of his nightmares, the darkest and loneliest part of the sewers. The place where fears came alive to torment, and despair was so abundant you could practically feel its poisonous grip suffocating you. And now Leonardo, the one who had been brave enough to fight off Mikey's terrors and monsters for _years,_ was laying unconscious beside him. Now fighting weakly, and desperately, just for his next breath.

Guilt ripped into his heart as he cried in the dark, alone. Leo was dying, and it was all his fault.

_**No.**_ A firm voice in his head commanded stubbornly. Mikey sniffed and slowly pulled his hands away from his face. He swallowed thickly as the voice brought a strange sort of rage or defiance that crept into his chest and he straightened. Wiping away the tears on his face, he looked down at Leonardo's bloodied body.

_Come on Mikey. _He sternly told himself, _All of this might be your fault._ _The phone running out of battery, Raph sneaking away, wasting time sleeping. But it's not over yet, Leo's still alive. And if you're just going to sit here and do nothing then it _will_ be your fault if Leo... Doesn't make it. Now get up off your shell, and help your brother! _

Determination set in his gut, which was probably a good thing because otherwise he would have definitely thrown up. Swallowing hard, he clenched his jaw, and determined to make himself helpful.

Looking over Leo's unconscious form he could easily see the blood smeared across his plastron as it rose and fell laboriously and Mikey's determination faltered. He wanted to curl up and never open his eyes again.

His hands trembled and his throat hurt from trying not to cry.

_'Mikey, stay with me bro. You're Leo's only hope right now.' _Donnie's voice played over in Mikey's mind. And even though the thought filled him with dread, he new that Donnie was right. There was no one else to turn to, no one to take the responsibility. Only Mikey.

"I can do this," he breathed, "Just until Donnie gets here."

Mikey wracked his brain, trying to remember some of the basic first aid skills Master Splinter taught them when they were younger.

"Okay, I think I need to slow the bleeding down first," Mikey looked over Leo's numerous cuts, his gaze landing on the large slice on his arm, "The smaller cuts aren't bleeding that much, but that gash looks really bad. I'll have to bandaid it with something."

But with what? Donnie had the first aid kit and he wasn't going to get there for a while yet. Mikey bit his lip anxiously, what could he possibly use?

His first thought was to try and seal the wound with just his hands and keep pressure on it that way. Though the idea of his older brother's blood seeping into his hand wraps and through his fingers made him feel sick. And he was scared with his hands shaking so much he might only make the tear worse. But he had to use _something_ till Donnie got there.

An idea suddenly popped into his head that just might work.

_It's better than nothing, and I owe it to Leo for doing nothing all day. _

Reaching up, Mikey untied his orange mask and slipped it easily off his face.

"I hope you appreciate what I'm doing here Leo," he said, leaning over to try and reach the deep cut.

His bandanna wasn't very long, the shortest of all his bro's, but he was able to wrap it a good two or three times before tying it. He tugged it a little tighter to try and keep pressure on the wound, earning a pained moan from Leo.

Mikey flinched at the sad, broken sound but continued to tie the makeshift bandage.

"I'm sorry Leo," he whispered apologetically, tears starting to fill his vision again, "But I gotta do this, or you'll just bleed out more."

When he'd finished he leaned back and wiped away some of the tears with the back of his hand. His heart felt heavy, aching for his big brother.

Mikey had always thought that if you lost consciousness you didn't feel anything. Apparently that wasn't the case this time. Maybe Leo was half conscious?

He imagined the incredible amount of pain all the little cuts alone would cause, and more tears filled his eyes.

Leo's scratchy, labored breaths faltered for a few terrifying seconds. It was almost like there was a huge weight on the leader's chest that kept him from taking a full breath.

Mikey tried to think of what to do, but he couldn't remember Master Splinter ever telling them how to take care of someone who was having trouble breathing. Exception made for choking. But this wasn't caused by choking.

If his t-phone battery had been charged, he could've just looked up what to do online. Then again, if his battery had been charged, he could've just asked Donnie.

"I'm such an idiot," he hissed at himself.

But he couldn't change the past, so he had to make the best of it.

He shook his head.

"Come on Mikey, think! What do you do?"

Going through the bottomless stores of useless knowledge, mainly collected from comics, random websites online, and tv, he racked his brain for anything that could possibly be helpful.

Suddenly, a random fact he'd heard from somewhere, he couldn't remember, popped into his head. When young animals, like puppies or kittens, had trouble breathing, he'd heard that letting them rest against your chest would help. The steady 'up and down' movement of your breathing was supposed to encourage them to breathe more steadily.

Mikey also remembered something like that in a movie he'd seen. In one of the more intense scenes, the boy had a serious asthma attack, but he didn't have his medicine with him. So his dad had held him to his chest, encouraging him to breathe in sync, both verbally and physically.

_That's just a movie! It could all be totally made up! _

But when he watched as Leo struggled for another uneven gasp of air, he knew that there wasn't anything else he could do at that point, and decided to give it a try.

As carefully as possible, he slipped his arms underneath Leonardo's limp form and pulled him close to his plastron.

"Come on Leo," Mikey's voice cracked, the tears beginning to stream down his face again, "Breathe with me bro."

_He's so cold._ He thought fearfully, hugging the fallen leader more tightly, hoping to warm him up a little with his own body heat.

"Donnie's coming. He'll be able to help you. Just- just keep holding on Leo, well make it through this together. You just need to stay strong. Okay?" Mikey choked back another painful sob and tried to take deeper, more pronounced breaths, "Deep breaths Leo. Feel my chest. You feel it? In. And out. In. And out. You can do it Leo. Just follow me. In with mr. good air. Out with mr. bad air. Breathe with me bro."

It seemed to help, at least a little. Mikey noticed Leo's breaths became more evenly spaced apart, obviously trying to synchronize with Mikey's steady breathing. But it was like the air kept catching in Leo's throat, leaving him with a shallow rasp of air that couldn't have filled more than half his lungs.

Mikey's hot tears rolled down his face and dropped onto Leonardo's cold body.

"Please hurry Donnie," he whispered pleadingly, feeling his brother's desperate, ragged fight for breath against his chest, "I don't know if Leo can hold on for much longer."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Donatello raced through the ever darkening sewer tunnels, his heart pounding in his chest.

He had to get to Mikey. The satchel with his first aid kit thumped against him, a constant reminder that he had Leo's only hope of survival. And if he didn't get there soon...

_Don't think that!_ He quickly interrupted his train of thought, going through the map in his mind again, _I'll get there in time. I'm almost there already! It's just a little farther. Besides I shouldn't be so dramatic. Mikey could've simply been overreacting.. __Right?_

It was an unlikely possibility.

But whether Mikey had been overreacting on Leo's condition or not, didn't stop Donnie's mind from screaming at him in urgency. Leo needed serious medical attention, and Donnie was the only one who had both the supplies and the knowledge to _provide_ said medical attention.

_Hold on Leo, I'm almost there. _

He had finally reached the tunnel Mikey was assigned to use in order to get to he surface. It was darker, colder, and stank of contamination.

Donnie wrinkled his nose and made a quick mental note to never send someone down here again. At least, not until the tunnel's condition improved.

He squinted in the dark, and could make out two figures farther in, huddled together. What he saw next, made him feel more sick then he'd thought possible, as his blood ran cold.


	16. Chapter-16

**Hey guys! I'm back! *coughs* finally. And per all of your requests, I tried to make this one a bit longer than usual. Which is a habit it will try to enforce in the future as well. **

**Thank you all for being so patient with me and for your input! It really means a lot! **

**Alright, I'm going to warn you all ahead of time. I am no medic, so please, please, _please _forgive my ignorance of medical terms and such. I've tried to be as accurate and as logical as I could based on the research I did online. But that still doesn't mean I'm accurate. So for any medical lovers, this might make you cringe. **

**Thank you for reading! Enjoy!!**

**_**

**Chapter 16**

Michelangelo heard Donatello's fast approaching footsteps long before he actually saw him.

"Donnie!" he shouted desperately, "We're over here!"

_Well that was dumb. He probably already knows where I am._

"Mikey!" Donnie called back, not slackening his pace, "How's Leo?"

"Not good," Mikey answered worriedly.

He looked down at Leo's unconscious body as Donatello slid into a kneeling position next to them.

"Let me see him."

Mikey nodded, gently releasing his death grip on Leo's limp form so Donnie could see him more clearly, and the purple masked turtle instantly checked Leo's wrist for a pulse. His red-brown eyes caught sight of the orange strip of cloth tied to Leo's arm and he gave Mikey a searching glance before turning back to Leo.

Mikey still felt scared, but the relief of someone being there eased his fear. He wasn't alone anymore. And Donnie knew what to do. It seemed like the nightmare was almost over.

"Oh no," Donatello whispered under his breath, feeling Leo's forehead with the back of his hand.

Mikey looked up at Donnie's face in alarm.

"What?" he forced himself to ask, panic spilling into his voice, "What's wrong?!"

Donatello didn't answer as he reached into his leather satchel and pulled out a dart-like, capped needle.

"Donnie!" Mikey cried, frightened at the sight of the needle, "What are you doing?!"

"He's going into hypovolemic shock," Donnie answered, almost calmly, as he uncapped the needle and drove it into Leo's forearm, "We need to get him back to the lair. Fast!"

"Okay, but, how will we do that exactly?"

"We'll have to carry him," Donnie answered.

Removing the needle from Leo's arm he recapped it, and tucked it back away into his satchel.

"What'd you give him?" Mikey asked, his attention reverting back to the needle.

"Just a small dose of epinephrine to help his heart rate," Donatello answered, "Now help me pick him up. You take his legs and I'll take his head. We'll carry him back that way."

"Okay, but-" Mikey's voice caught in his throat, "Will- will he be ok D?"

The tear that escaped Donatello's eye was answer enough to Mikey's question.

"There's no time Mikey," Donnie whispered, "We need to get him back to the lair so I can treat him properly. Give him to me."

Mikey nodded, the tears welling up in his eyes for what felt like the one hundredth time. And for the one hundredth time he tried to hold them back. As gently as he possibly could, he shifted Leo's limp body into Donatello's outstretched arms. Then he moved down and carefully tried to grab Leo's ankles, but the thick oily water coating his skin made it difficult to get a good grip.

"Alright, ready?" Donnie asked, his arms wrapped firmly around Leo's chest, and hooking under his shoulders.

Mikey bit his lip and nodded, trying to stay concentrated on keeping his hands firmly wrapped around Leo's ankles. Donatello nodded back encouragingly.

"On three. One. Two.."

Mikey braced himself.

"Three!"

He stood up and was caught off guard by how light Leo's body had become. His grip slipped and one of Leo's legs fell back down with a wet thud.

"Oops!" Mikey yelped.

Donnie sighed in frustration his brow furrowing.

"This would've been too clumsy anyway. I'll just carry him," he said quickly, "That way you can call Raph and fill him in on what's happened."

Donatello gently set Leo back down, shifting into a better position, slipping one arm under Leo's shell to brace his back and the other under his legs.

Mikey quickly released his grip on Leo's other leg and watched Donnie anxiously, tears falling down his face as he fidgeted.

"Are you sure you can carry him by yourself?" he asked, fear squeaking into his voice.

"Yeah," Donnie answered, and Mikey almost thought he heard his voice catch, "You felt how light he was. But if I need help, I'll ask, ok?"

"Okay," Mikey agreed.

Donatello braced himself, gritting his teeth as he picked Leo's limp form up off the sewer floor with a grunt.

"You got him?" Mikey asked, stepping forward, anxious to help.

"Yeah. Yeah I got him," he reassured before grimacing, "He may be lighter but he's still heavy. Now I need you to call Raph and tell him to meet us at the lair."

"Um. I can't."

"This isn't the time to joke around Mikey!" Donnie said, turning and hurrying back into the maze of the sewers.

"I'm not joking!" Mikey cried, darting after him, "My t-phone d-" he cringed, quickly trying to avoid the 'd' word, "I mean, ran out of battery!"

Donatello stopped with an agitated groan.

"You can use mine then."

"Where is it?" Mikey instantly asked, pouncing on the idea of being helpful.

"It's hooked onto my shoulder strap, you just need to unclip it," Donnie instructed, rolling one of his shoulders.

Mikey reached over Leo's lifeless form and snatched the t-phone off of the leather strap with a chilled shiver.

"Got it!" Mikey announced.

"Great," Donnie responded, picking up his pace and hurrying off in the direction of the lair, "Now call Raph!"

Mikey fell back behind his purple masked brother, trying to dial in Raph's number as quickly as he could. But his hands were shaking so hard, even doing _that_ was proving more difficult than he'd have liked.

When he finally got it, he held the device to his ear expectantly.

"Please pick up Raph."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raphael felt his t-phone come to life at his side and pulled it out to look at the screen.

"Donnie," he muttered, "Doesn't he know when to give it a rest?"

The only reason Raph hesitated to hang it up right away, was the barely audible voice of caution in his head that made him wonder if it was important.

_Could he have found Leo?_ The quiet voice asked. He glanced at the time on his t-phone screen.

_Nah._ He dismissed the thought with a shrug, _There's no way he could've found Leo that quickly. He's probably still just frustrated and wants to chomp my ear off._

It made sense to Raph. After all, that's what _he_ would do.

Besides, he'd been searching up here for hours and found nothing. What made him think Donnie could find Leo just like that?

His mind eased at his explanation and he didn't feel the least bit guilty hitting the 'decline' button and sliding the device back into his belt.

_Sorry Donnie. But I have more important things to do than listen to your lectures._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michelangelo pulled his brother's t-phone away from his ear and stared at the screen with wide terrified eyes.

"Donnie!" Mikey shouted after his brother, "Raph's not picking up!"

"Then call Sensei!" Donatello shouted back, not slowing his pace for a second, "And tell him to get the lab ready! I'll tell you what he needs to set up so listen carefully!"

Mikey dialed in their Sensei's number and quickly hit 'call'.

It felt so weird. They never called Splinter directly unless it was an actual _'there-might-not-be-a-way-to-get-out-of-this-alive'_ emergency.

And knowing that only made the seriousness of the situation even more crippling to Mikey. The gravity of reality weighted on his heart, gripping him with fear.

His eyes burned from his tears, which seemed to have run out, leaving his face raw as he listened to the agonizingly drawn out ring of the t-phone. Like a mocking voice threatening to condemn him with another rejected call.

"Please pick up Sensei," he whispered desperately, clutching the phone with both hands, his knuckles going white, "Please answer."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Splinter sat underneath the dojo tree, trying to keep his mind calm. Trying, and failing miserably.

Splinter had sensed something was amiss earlier that morning, but he'd foolishly dismissed it. And when he'd stood outside Leonardo's room he knew in his gut that something was wrong.

In the many years he'd spent raising his precious sons, his acute rat senses had grown attuned to their habits. If all the lights were turned out leaving him with zero visibility he would not only be able to identify them as his sons, but would also be able to discern one from the other.

The way they carried themselves as they walked, how they talked, and even how they breathed, was familiar to him. And on occasion he has even found himself able to tell them apart by the very beat of their hearts.

Now that he could reflect on it, Splinter realized that _that_ was what had nagged at him earlier that morning, when he'd paused in front of his eldest son's room door. There had been no steady breaths to indicate Leonardo's slumber, and, worst of all, there had been no heartbeat.

Of course, the idea of his eldest son's absence hadn't crossed his mind until he'd seen the empty room and untouched bed covers with his eyes.

And that had been his downfall.

_A good ninja never relies on eyesight alone._ He reprimanded himself, dread wrenching in his gut, _And a good _father_ should know better by now._

Now, one of his dear children was missing. Mortally wounded, or captured by the Shredder and tortured for all he knew.

The image of the charred remains of the warehouse planted itself into his mind. What if Leonardo hadn't made it out alive?

The idea of his son screaming for help in the ravaging fire, slowly suffocating and burning to death stabbed his heart with an unbearable all to familiar pain.

He brought a hand up to his face, grief and fear overpowering him.

"Oh my son," he whispered, a slight tremor overtaking his voice. Splinter felt as though he'd failed the only thing he could not afford to fail. He failed as a father, he failed as a Sensei, and he'd failed Leonardo.

Tears sprang into his eyes dampening the fur on his face.

His fur. Another cruel reminder of how much of his life had been torn from him. All he had left, were his sons. The only light in those dark sewers came from their smiling faces. Was the world so cruel as to tear them away from him too? One by one?

The ringing of a telephone interrupted his thoughts. Though it was not the ring of just any telephone. Splinter had both dreaded and prayed for that sound ever since Donatello and Michelangelo has left the lair in search for their brother.

It was the cheese phone.

Getting to his feet, Splinter hurried into his room where the cheese phone sat on a pedestal under a glass lid. Quickly removing the glass lid he placed a hand in the cheese looking telephone as it rang. He hesitated for a moment, a horrible dread knitting his stomach.

When he answered this call he knew what he was going to hear, at least to some extent, and was almost to afraid to hear it. The tidings of that one single phone call could change his and his son's lives forever.

But he shouldn't, couldn't, no _wouldn't_ ignore it. Not this time.

Splinter picked up the receiver, "Moshi moshi," he answered, steeling the tremble from his voice.

And his nightmare began.


End file.
